Pokémon: Keeper of the Beasts
by Th3Hybr1d
Summary: Fate deals a certain hand to certain people. For the Keeper, life's been like a roller coaster. An unlucky roller coaster. Being both powerful and betrayed isn't that cracked up to be. So when he tries taking matters into his own hands and runs across four travelers, things spiral down instantly... or do they? (Rated T for action scenes later in the story)
1. Prologue

**A/N: Welp, haven't been here in a while.**

 **So, yeah; giving the Keeper of the Beasts another go.** THIS **time, with actual planning and not free-write. I'll update whenever I can (IF I can), so apologies in advance. Hope you enjoy!**

 **(Meanwhile, I'll be busy playing Ultra Moon- I mean, continuing to write.)**

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Chapter 1: M.I.A.

 _The hallway was silent as the day began its morning cycle. Slowly, rays of light crawled down to the ground and up the walls, illuminating the interior of the passage. Though there was almost no change in brightness anyway, as the walls, pillars, and high ceiling were made of black crystal, with practically no decorations. A pair of shining bulbous fungi, brightening as the mock morning rose, were mounted on opposite columns and lining down the hall and gave light to anyone who would traverse through. Though it was hardly a place for anyone to call home, as the noxious quality of air wafted around._

 _At one end of the hallway was a set of dark wooden doors. Tall and rectangular, with dull gold handles, the corners had begun to round off and lose their point with age. With a creak of protest, they swung outward at the speed of a Tirtouga on land. They thudded as they met the wall, sending the sound echoing down the passage. Behind them, a small girl stood, a hand outstretched. Clothed in a white sundress, the skirt reaching the knees, she seemed no more than just a child. The unusual factor that complimented her appearance was the fact that her eyes were flared a brilliant blue, and her long pale yellow hair floated in the air in thick, tentacle-like limbs. As she lowered her hand, the light in her eyes faded, and her hair fell down around her, coming to rest on her waist._

 _The girl walked down the hallway, the sandals on her feet lightly tapping the rocky floor. She passed the framed pictures on the wall on her left, each containing one man or woman that served as Beastkeeper throughout history. In each one, they all sneered down or glowered as she passed. All of them looked menacing and sent minor waves of fear through her. Reminders of their cruel behavior sent shudders through her, some memories of injuries surfacing and making the girl tremble. Only the last portrait did she stop and look at while hurrying past the others. This one, unlike the previous photographs, held a young boy with messy brown hair and no air of intimidation in his stare. He wore a collected, reassuring smile, one that demonstrated its infectiousness as the girl found herself smiling back. The most recent Keeper that they chose proved to be much more likable than the rest, his shy, amusing, yet compassionate and understanding nature quickly earning the respect and trust of her fellow peers._

 _At least, that's how he was before. After he assumed his role as Keeper, he was void of all feelings, as he performed his duties enabling their survival. Part of her was glad to see him as an effective leader, while the other longed for the old days, where the halls would fill with his laughter, and he would shower them with praise-_

 _She shook her head._ No, _she thought._ Our revenge comes first, above all else.

 _She looked up at it for some time, before turning and walking over to the other double dark-wood doors. She straightened the large sun hat upon her head, before knocking three times. She waited for a response._

 _Fifteen seconds, and there was silence._ Odd, _she thought,_ he's usually quick to get up at dawn.

 _To be sure that they heard, she knocked again, a bit louder. Again, no answer. Hesitantly, she put a hand on the door and pushed it inward._

" _Beastkeeper?" she asked. "Are you in here-"_

 _The question halted in the empty air as she was met with an empty room. The bed was made, the sheets folded and neat. The fungal lamps were bright, shining around the room. The terminal, where the Keeper was allowed to log into and watch the journal entries of his past self, was vacant. The desk next to it, where the books containing strategies for battles and notes, was spotless, the journals stacked neatly. The fact that she was the only person in the room made her uneasy._

" _Keeper?" she called, unable to keep the anxiety out of her voice. She entered the room, gazing around for any sign that he would pop out, amused that she fell for another of his silly tricks. However, he did not. She was about to leave the room when she saw a blinking green light on the console of the data monitor. Cautious, she approached it. The light signaled that a message had been paused and that it was unlocked. The Beastkeeper was very sensitive about his journal entries; he liked them to be kept to himself. Yet here was his journal, open and ready to be read. She reached a hand out and pushed the triangular shaped button. The screen flickered on, and the face of her Keeper was shown. He wasn't wearing his mask; it alarmed her to see him so serious._

" _Entry number..." he began, then glanced down at his notes and back up again, "ninety-eight. Don't have much to say here; just that I've decided to leave the UB's."_

"' _Leave us?'" the girl silently said._

" _I always thought that the reason they raised me was to give me a better life. I won't lie, they've given me that. I'm thankful for it. What I don't appreciate is the fact that they lied in front of my face. The project that we've been working on- it's not for protection. It's for global_ destruction. _I can't believe this. I thought they were my family!_

" _What's worse is that I helped them build it. I'm responsible for creating a massive weapon. I can't live with myself if I have to know that I ended my race. I know that they said humanity rejected them, and me too, but violence or genocide shouldn't be an option. That's why I've made up my mind: I'm running away, and never returning."_

 _Her eyes widened in shock as she gasped. This couldn't be true._

" _I don't know who to trust anymore. There's too much that's happened to me to simply forget. At least, not over time. So that's why I've created a toxin developed from poison by the Silent Sisters that's hopefully strong enough to wipe my memory. A clean slate, fresh and new for me. I want to forget about this for good; it's the only way for me to escape. So tomorrow, before they all wake up, I'm going to summon a gateway back to my homeworld. When I do, I'll take the poison, and hopefully erase this from my life. Find somewhere peaceful, where nobody's going to know my past. At the same time, I've created a backup plan, should I be caught again. Either way, I'm bringing this to an end."_

 _The girl's breaths had become unsteady. She was grabbing the edges of the dashboard for support. "No," she said, over and over again. "No, no, no-"_

" _And if any of my 'friends' are watching this," he stated, looking around him as if he thought they were eavesdropping. "I just want you to know: I trusted you. I thought we were on the same page. But I guess not. And don't try using the Juggernaut; I've left a little surprise for that. Keeper out, for good."_

 _He pulled the dark hood of his jacket over his head, while at the same time tapping a button on the keyboard, and it went black. The girl stood there, taking the information in. Tens of hundreds of thoughts rushed through her, all increasing her hysteria. The fact that her leader had vanished made her dizzy, emotions of betrayal and shock present. And then, the air around her blazed scarlet, as anger rose up above her other feelings. The absence of the Keeper would not be tolerated. He must be found, and the plan must go on. The power that only her allies shared rose up in her; her disguise fell away in a flash of white. When it faded, her true form was revealed, surrounded by ruby-colored light._

 _The creature floated out of the room, tentacles not touching the ground. It flew through the hall, the lights mirroring her radiance. Passing through several abandoned streets and buildings, it finally arrived at a giant cathedral, pausing a moment before entering._

 _As it entered into a spacious chamber, it let out a screech, echoing through the halls. The screech, essentially a call to arms in her language, was met with the sounds of other beings rising from slumber. They came out of their sleeping quarters, shaking the drowsiness from them as they answered the call of their second-in-command._

" _Our Keeper is gone," she reported, fury tinting her voice. "He was taken from us."_

 _At once there was a collective gasp before a cacophony of outraged questions swarmed her._

" _But how?" this was asked by the muscular, humanoid insect. Shock and anger met him at her statement, as well as the others. "We've been able to keep a keen watch over him. It'zzz impozzzible!"_

" _We've been watching him," she answered, "but we should've been watching our enemies."_

" _Them?" questioned a lanky mass of black wiring. The outrage was clear as sparks shot from his hands and head. His hands were six strips of copper, his feet like two-pronged plugs with a back point. The head had nothing that a normal face would have. Instead, it was just a ball of white with countless points. "Are you saying that the humans abducted him? They can't even access this place!"_

" _Not exactly. Their technology is unable to get through our defenses, that is true. But their ideas are. They have poisoned our Keeper. And now he has rejoined those who banished us."_

" _I can't understand," this was asked by one of the largest of them, its thin pointed head almost touching the ceiling. The two disconnected arms rested on the floor, thick as tree trunks with a thicker base for expelling its attacks. The face, thin and emotionless, looked at her as she asked, "The last time the Keeper was allowed in his realm was over three months ago. How could the thoughts have affected him for that length of time?"_

" _Remember, Sally," she curtly retorted, "thoughts can influence one for a long period of time. They'll poison them over time until they're rendered incapable of any other thought."_

 _The creatures around her muttered in assent, and she silently thanked her Keeper for giving her communication lessons. Another reason she was an effective leader, along with her heightened intellect and powers._

" _We must get him back before it's too late!"_

" _Shall we give the J-NCZ a test run?"_

 _The colossal, black-scaled beast addressed her with politeness, though she could easily sense the malice in it. Both pairs of eyes looked eagerly at her, while the weapon-like tail slowly waved to and fro. She didn't answer immediately; the offer was tempting. Destroy the obstacles in their way, and they would get what they wanted._

 _At the same time, her mind drifted back to his words._

" _Don't try the Juggernaut; I've left a little surprise for it..." the phrase echoed in her, though she couldn't understand why. The giant machine, codenamed "Juggernaut," was the project they had been working on for decades, perhaps centuries. When it was complete, it would wreak havoc and destruction upon the world, built after the likeness of their deity, The Black Prism. If he had sabotaged the machine, it would have to be corrected-_

" _Miss Nellie?"_

 _The small, paper-like comrade spoke up, concerned as she did not respond to his proposal. The smallest of the lot, yet nowhere near harmless, he and his friends had received a lot of affection from the Beastkeeper. It swung softly back and forth in midair, liable to be tossed by the slightest gust._

 _If he had somehow tampered with the machine, then their plans could be greatly wounded. Their revenge would be halted,_

 _Nellie shook her head. "Yes, yes, I'm fine. Thank you, Kurt. And Gus," she directed the colossal colleague. "How close is the J-NCZ to completion?"_

" _Close to two-thirds," he reported, "but I am sure if we were to show it in the world, in the search for our Keeper-"_

" _I'd like the project to be completed before we apply it to the field," she said. "Forgive me, but I hope you realize that the project is in a critical state. Any flaw will set us back longer than we would like. In the meantime, continue working on it. And I would request that you be the one who watches over it, to be sure that all errors have been eradicated. We cannot have room for error."_

 _Gus grumbled, his two elongated arms attached inside his cavernous mouth touching the floor. "Yes, Miss Nellie-"_

" _And one more thing, before we disperse," she added. Every ally in the room faced her, giving her their undivided attention. "In the Keeper's absence, the leadership falls on the second-in-command. As head of the Silent Sisters, I will take that responsibility of leading us. Until we get the Keeper back, I will be referred to as Captain and will direct you where you are required to be. Understood?"_

" _Yes, Captain," they addressed her with new authority, normally shown for their Beastkeeper. They gave a salute in unison, standing tall to respect her. She nodded to signify them to stand down, though a young excitement rose up in her at the image of every UB obeying her command._

" _Very well, then, let's begin," she began, "Sonja, Buzz, I want you and your comrades to prepare to shuffle the moves of everyone here; we may need new moves depending on where our Keeper was taken to."_

" _Yes, Captain," both groups of bug and Fighting-type UB's departed from the group and headed to the machine loaded with random moves, ready to switch their attacks._

" _Zach, I need you to provide Gus and Sally power for their work. Get your friends up if you need. They'll need all the help they can get. You two, I need you to continue working on the J-NCZ."_

 _All three saluted, before striding over to the large, arching doorway that led to the workspace. The workspace was where their grand scheme rested, being built more and more by each Beastkeeper that provided supplies for them from their world. Over time, the project took shape, towering and ominous, fashioned in the design of their Lord. Soon, it would be completed, and unleashed upon humanity, eventually wiping them out._

 _Nellie turned to go about her job, but a voice made her pause._

" _Captain Nellie?"_

 _She looked down. Kurt had floated up to her, thin sword-like arms brushing each other. A sign of nervousness._

" _Do you need something, Kurt?" she asked the Steel/Grass-type. The fold that resembled its face closed tightly, showing that he was really nervous. And then, he asked, "Do you think we'll get our Beastkeeper back?"_

 _The innocent inquiry lingered with Nellie. He had said he was fed up with their plan, and intentionally fled back to his world. The possibility that he would come back to them was slim, even slimmer with the fact that he erased his memory. She wasn't sure that he would be the same, should they succeed in bringing him back._

 _Still, she reached a tentacle out and softly smoothed its arm. Nellie was careful not to make contact with the sharp edges._

" _Don't fret," she said. "I promise he'll come back. It might be scary without him, I know. But as long as we remain calm, and put our trust in the Black Prism, all will go well."_

" _Are you sure?" he asked, looking up at her. She gave a strong and reassuring nod, before saying, "Completely. This is the only Keeper we've looked up to. Now, how about you help Buzz and Sonja with the move reshuffling? I'm positive that they'll need help."_

" _Yes, Captain!" chirped Kurt. His attitude improved greatly, the fear chased away by her reassurances. And he sped off after his larger comrades, ready to provide assistance. Now that the other UB's had assumed their roles, Nellie hovered in place and concentrated. She felt the presence of the Keeper, though it was distant and faded. A veil of sorts separated him from her vision. She extended her mind, trying to reach out to him. The more she did, the farther he became. She increased her efforts, feeling her powers arrive at their limit._

 _Just when she thought that her head would explode from the pressure, several images flashed through her mind: a giant glass tower, stretching up to the sky, a large herd of people in red chasing after small, green organisms, a pair of narrow, iridescent eyes among black, and a group of four, with the Beastkeeper among them. The pictures faded from her mind, and Nellie fell from the air. Had one of her own not seen her and used its psychic powers to catch her, she would've hit the ground._

" _Are you okay, Captain?" she tentatively asked._

" _Yes, thank you, Niobe," she responded, holding a long tentacle to her hat-like head. The images in her mind left a mild migraine, the result of mental overexertion. "I was experiencing a vision of sorts. I think I may know where our Keeper has gone to."_

" _You have?" Niobe telepathically questioned, filled with both surprise and excitement. "Where is he?"_

" _First, bring me the maps," she directed. "They should be hanging from the walls of the Keeper's quarters. I can't pinpoint exactly where unless I have some hints."_

 _Niobe reverently nodded and flew off. While she was gone, Nellie pondered over the visions she saw. One was the group of people in crimson clothing, pursuing a population of strange organisms. What was that supposed to represent? Was humanity like the group of red uniforms, chasing after them, the unknown creatures?_

 _Then there were the eyes. They looked like a pair of diamonds and were probably just as sharp. The thought of it made her shiver; something about them seemed… abnormal. Who did they belong to? A human? Pokémon? The second option seemed more likely, but which one had eyes so intimidating?_

 _Nellie nudged these thoughts aside, turning to the last picture: 5 people, including the Keeper. If he was with them, he was likely to be their prisoner. And if he was their prisoner, she and her fellow Beasts would have to free him. Whatever the cost._

 _She continued to turn these thoughts in her head for several minutes, until her partner returned, levitating several maps behind her. She held them in place as she said, "These ones?"_

 _Nellie nodded, studying the multiple notes and pictures attached to the maps. Each one contained a layout of the regions from the Keepers' homeworld. Over time, the maps had accumulated multiple notes and pictures, to help locate a specific area. Her vision fell on a small blue dot, with a picture of a tall tower held with tape. She touched it with the tip of a tentacle._

" _Here," she said, "this is something I saw in my vision."_

 _Niobe laid down the other maps and looked at the map that Nellie spoke of. "It seems like he has gone to the 'Kalos' region," Niobe informed her._

" _Then we send the J-NCZ out after all," she decided. If he had gone to a populated area, then it was simpler to send out the destroyer, though she made a note to warn Gus about any malfunctions in the technology. "I'll inform Gus to prepare the machine for travel. As for us-"_

 _She was cut off as an explosion rocked the air. She and her comrade turned, then quickly hovered towards the source. They entered the room where the giant black dragon worked, coughing as smoke billowed from the giant machine._

" _Gus, what happened?" Nellie demanded. The Beast did not immediately respond, instead opting to wave the smoke away with its thick pincers._

" _Malfunction in the main control unit," he answered. "Several of the motherboards have been fried, and multiple towers were ransacked. This will put completion behind schedule."_

" _How long?"_

" _Give or take, roughly six weeks."_

" _Six weeks?" Niobe repeated. "We don't have six weeks to wait around! We must fix the machine. What could've done this?!"_

 _Nellie remained quiet. She knew who the culprit was, but didn't want to give the answer. If she did, then the Keeper would be considered a traitor rather than a leader missing in action. They already had enough stress on their hands as it was._

" _I can't give an exact answer," Gus was saying, scratching his stomach uncomfortably. "Whatever the error was fried the circuits and central towers, so powering it will be slowed. The data contained in the terminals need to be replaced, but sending Zev and Zane out will make it simpler. Not to mention I still need to finish the Laser Clamp and the Tri-Cannon, among other kinks in the mobility."_

" _Then what are we to do?" Niobe asked. "Do you expect us to sit around and patiently wait while our Keeper drifts farther away from us? I can't stand the thought of it."_

" _You won't have to," Nellie stated. "We're going after him."_

 _Both Beasts turned to stare at her. Astonishment was written across the both of them, though Niobe was slightly more hidden._

" _What are you saying? The Keeper's probably distanced himself greatly from us. And Kalos has unpredictable wormhole locations; we're not going to locate him that easily."_

" _If the Keeper goes somewhere, then that's where we'll be going too," Nellie stated. "Niobe, gather our sisters. Gus, have the Beasts gather resources for the Juggernaut. We've got a region to visit, along with a Keeper to reclaim."_

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 **A/N: Started using Grammarly to help me write. It's a big helper, but I don't know if I completely trust it l:/**

 **Just occurred to me that this deserves an explanation, as to where this comes from, and what it's leading up to. So basically: this takes place at the beginning of the XY &Z series, though Necrozma and the Ultra Beasts are making a special appearance (Stakataka and Blacephalon, too). Necrozma is mentioned, though unheard of because no one's seen him for centuries. But before all this happened, Necrozma was widely known. Necrozma was respected as the Being of the Starr (Solgaleo=Sunne, Lunala=Moone; don't try to correct the spelling), and revered among the Legendaries. The explanation is as follows, though in the form of a legend:**

 _ **Necrozma was respected as the Being of the Starr (Solgaleo=Sunne, Lunala=Moone; don't try to correct the spelling), and revered among the Legendaries. He was wise and kind, respecting everything around him as they respected him.**_

 _ **Suddenly, a race of creatures that could only be described as aliens arrived in their home dimension. The Ultra Beasts showed up unexpectedly, surprising humans and Pokemon alike. The Legendaries held a council to see what they would do with them. All voted to shun them away, and keep them where they wouldn't hurt anyone else. Necrozma, however, had compassion on them, seeing them as crude and misshapen like he was, but still worthy of honor, and requested to care for them. He was denied this and grew bitter.**_

 _ **And so he resolved to care for them in secret, stealing light bit by bit from their world to teach and guide them, so they could understand. The Legendaries didn't suspect anything until Zygarde happened to notice the world dimming with each passing day. Upon asking the Legends of Light, he discovered that someone had taken their light and hidden it. When he hunted for the thief, he discovered it was no other than Necrozma, taking the light to a hidden realm, where the Beasts were kept from them.**_

 ** _And so Zygarde brought the Being of the Starr before the Council of the Legendaries, accused as "The Light Thief." The UB's were exposed, much to the Council's horror and Necrozma's chagrin. What alarmed them further was that the Beasts were stronger than Pokemon, stronger than even them. And Necrozma was stripped of his glory, reduced to a myth because of his crimes. Wiped from existence..._**

 ** _...because he showed mercy._**

 **Let me know how I did; any review is appreciated. Like it? Leave a like and/or follow! Love it? Leave a like and/or follow! Hate it? Well, you are free to leave anytime, but leave a review saying what I did wrong. Ciao!**


	2. Chapter 1: Noises in the Night

**(A/N: I suddenly realized that the summary in the last chapter wasn't adequate, so here's the real summary: the Ultra Beasts have been plotting to destroy humanity with a machine they've developed, with the help of their Beastkeepers, aka adult humans with similar interests. However, the last Keeper they had was different from the others. He took the role when he was a child, but cared for the UB's. Several years later, when he learned that they were planning to wipe out his race, he fled, not wanting to be a part of it. So he returned to his homeworld and came across the four travelers of the Kalos region whom we all know and love.**

 **Hope that was better. Anyway, hope you like it; let me know what I could do better.)**

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New Arrival

"Chespin, that macaron's not for you!" Clemont said, chasing the Pokémon around the campfire.

"Chespin, ches!" it responded, doing its best to stay ahead of its trainer and balance the treat in its grip. Clemont leaped at it It swerved to the left in an effort to avoid Clemont's reach. Thus, the blond-haired young man soared over it and crashed into a tree.

Laughter rang in the air as Ash, Serena and Bonnie witnessed his comedic failure. Night had settled upon the four, blanketing the sky in a sea of deep navy and white specks. Trees flanked them on every side, taking the place of buildings in cities. Chespin slowed down and attempted to bite into the macaron he held, but Pancham rose up and gave chase, making the Grass-type Pokémon groan in frustration and resume running.

"Need some help, big brother?" Bonnie asked, standing up and ready to assist her brother. Dedenne hopped down from her head and onto her shoulder, its usual, innocent smile present.

"No thanks, Bonnie," he responded, rising up slowly. "I think that I've got this- GWAH!" He was cut off as his Pokémon jumped on his head in an effort to dodge Serena's Pancham. The poor gym leader took a nasty faceplant, his head being shoved into the dirt. He began to lift his head up again but was forced down again when Pancham copied Chespin's actions to follow after him.

"You sure about that?" Ash said between snickers. Pikachu wagged his tail, silently begging to be used. He eyed the two Pokémon running around the campfire, grinning in anticipation.

"No, I've got this," Clemont repeated firmly, after getting himself out of the ground and quickly getting to his knees to avoid any further ambushes. "All I need to do is form a plan, and catch him off guard. Should be a piece of cake."

"Really, Clemont, it's fine," Serena said, trying to hide her giggling. "There's more where that came from."

"No, it's not. Chespin's a serious glutton for food, and he needs to stop. One of these days he's going to be unable to battle because of his fat stomach because he didn't know when to stop."

"Ches!" the Pokémon protested, still running.

"Okay, I've heard enough," Ash sighed, retrieving a Pokéball and tossing it up. "Frogadier, get that macaron back!"

The Pokémon appeared in a flash of light and a cry of his name. He leaped at the Grass-type in a blur of motion and nabbed the treat from his paws. Chespin looked at him in surprise before tripping over his feet and crashing into a stump, and Pancham followed suit. The two immediately started swiping paws at each other in a bicker.

The Bubble Frog Pokémon landed nimbly on his feet, macaron in hand. He handed it to Serena in an elegant flourish, and she giggled at his overdramatic pose. She took it back from him; "Why thank you."

Ash nodded to his Pokémon; "Thanks a lot, Frogadier. Why don't you come on back?" He held up his Pokéball and called the Pokémon back. "You've earned it."

While Ash was still overjoyed with his triumph over Olympia, he still worked his Pokémon like he was preparing them for the Pokémon League. Most of each passing day consisted of rigorous exercises and going over a seemingly endless supply of tactics. His Pokémon were more than up for the task: they worked hard, and with vigor, not wanting to upset their trainer, though each day ended with them ready to collapse from exhaustion. And each time, Ash rewarded them with well for their works.

"Well, thanks, Ash," Clemont sighed, calling his Chespin back in his fighting. "I'll have to keep a closer eye on his eating habits. And sorry about the whole mess there, Serena."

"No trouble at all Clemont," she waved it off. "Like I said, I have plenty more macarons than that."

"Ooh, ooh!" Bonnie exclaimed, pointing up at the sky. "Look at the stars!"

Everyone looked up at the sky and let out an "Aah" of amazement when streaks of white appeared among the deep blue. They sat in silence as they watched the shooting stars whizzing by.

As they watched some shooting stars pass by, and Bonnie lets out a sound of awed excitement, Serena glanced at Ash nervously, and with a faint blush. While Ash's training had left her unable to get some time to talk with him, tonight was the perfect opportunity. Tonight, she made up her mind: she would do it. Tell him how she felt.

 _C'mon, Serena,_ she thought to herself, as her crush looked up at the starry skies with his buddy, _you got this._

Her hands clenched her knees as she tried to find the words.

"Look at that one, Serena!" she heard Ash call.

She looked up and saw Ash pointing to a comet, with a blazing white tail flying by.

"That one was so cool!" he exclaimed, "Let's make a wish!" and his Pikachu added, "Pika pi!"

The four clasped their hands together and silently made their own wishes.

"I wish that I can make a successful invention," Clemont murmured.

"I wish that I can find more friends for me, Dedenne and Squishy!" Bonnie whispered ecstatically.

"I wish to become a Pokémon master," Ash prayed, voice low but still filled with confidence as always.

Serena pondered for a moment, before thinking, _I wish I could tell Ash how I feel._

They all looked back up, scanning the sky to find any more shooting stars to make wishes on. Nothing more but the stars that were already present, glinting white against the dark blue sky. Dedenne suddenly perked its ears up and looked in the woods, whiskers quivering.

"What's wrong, Dedenne?" Bonnie asked, but by then, the small Electric and Fairy-type Pokémon leaped down and dashed off into the woods. The young girl dashed off after it, calling for it to come back.

"Bonnie, wait up!" Clemont yelled, picking up his Aipom-arm and racing after his sister. Pikachu dashed off as well, to make sure that they wouldn't fall into any more chaos.

That just left Serena and Ash alone, sitting opposite each other. Clenching her legs in nervousness, Serena stared at the ground, not meeting Ash's eyes. He was busy, thankfully, staring at the sky, trying to find any more shooting stars.

 _It's alright, Serena,_ she told herself. _You can do this. All you need to do is say the words. Just do it!_

She looked up at her secret crush, who was busy staring off where the others ran off. Throughout their journey together she had tried so hard to admit her feelings but each attempt had ended in failure. Whether it was an outside event or Ash's… lack of perceptiveness, it was as if the whole universe had conspired against them.

It was time for that to change. Starting now.

"A-Ash?" she asked, though her voice was barely heard. He turned to her, not noticing the pale pink in her cheeks. "There's something I wanted to say."

"Yeah?"

"Well, we've been on this journey a while now, right?"

"Yeah."

"And... we've known each other for a long time."

"Well, yeah," he smiled. "From the time we met at Professor Oak's camp."

"Yeah. Well, I've been meaning to say this for some time now, but... I think that-"

Before she could go on, a guttural roar split across the night air. The sound echoed through the trees around them, overflowing with rage. Pokémon that were resting for the night emerged from the branches, frantically flying away from the source. Serena had to duck as a Fletchling flew over her head in a panic.

Then, as quickly as it had happened, it stopped. Suddenly, a shriek of fright was heard, making them both look where it came from. Hurried footsteps draw near them. Just ahead, Bonnie was running back towards them, Dedenne right at her heels, while Clemont was heavily breathing like a Donphan. Ash leaped to his feet, but relaxed when he saw Pikachu sprinting back with them.

"There's a monster in the dark!" Bonnie cried out after her brother collapsed onto the ground behind her.

"What do you mean, monster?" Serena asked, confused at her statement.

"She just got scared of that sound earlier," Clemont explained, through huffing. "There's no such thing as monsters."

"Then how can you explain what I heard out there?!" she protested, with Dedenne waving its tiny arms frantically. The siblings continued their argument, making the watchers sigh.

"You think we should check it out?" Ash asked Serena.

"But Ash, you heard the roar from earlier! What if it's actually a monster?"

"Well, we don't know if it's a monster. Only one way to find out. We'll just have to see if there's actually something that made that sound." He stood up as he spoke, and she followed suit. Leaving the siblings to finish arguing, they headed into the woods.

"Should we split up?" Ash asked after a moment. Serena stared at him for a second, before nodding. She held a Pokéball aloft, silently summoning Braixen. The Pokémon appeared with a happy cry of its name.

"Smart idea," Ash commented. "Make sure you won't get lost in the dark."

She smiled faintly, and Ash nodded to Pikachu on his shoulder. "Whaddaya say, buddy?"

"Pika!" And the two of them were off before she could say a word.

As he left to investigate, Braixen gave her a questioning glance. She tried to give a reassuring smile but failed as disappointment filled her. The chance to confess was taken away once more. The opportunity was there, right in front of her. Yet she was too slow, and it had fled. With a sigh, she turned away and set out, Braixen holding her flaming branch aloft.

She made her way through the woods, her Fire-type Pokémon following behind in silence. Unease gripped her as she darted her eyes around, trying to spot any movement in the trees. There wasn't any she could see, but that didn't mean the threat wasn't visible.

"Brai!" Braixen said, pointing to a pair of bushes to her left. Serena glanced at them, noticing the bare branches, even though it was mid-summer. Peering through the bushes, she gasped at what she saw.

It was a scene of destruction before her: trees had been torn from the ground and thrown around like toys during a temper tantrum. Bushes were uprooted and scattered around, different berries now in the grass. The whole area was turned into a wasteland.

She stared at the sight of destroyed nature, before looking to her right. A small area of grass had been uprooted, exposing fresh dirt in a 5-foot radius. At the center of it was a figure on his knees, shivering madly.

"What the-" she muttered, as she hastily climbed into the plants and helped the stranger, currently sprawled across the ground, up into a position where they now lay against a log. Leaves and dirt sprinkled their jeans and dark grey hoodie. Serena caught a glimpse of them under his hood; a young man, face riddled with deep scratches. Dark brown hair fell down his face, falling over his eyes. From the looks of him, he looked like he was a few months, at least a year older than Ash.

His sleeves were peppered with cuts, his arms showing in some places, presumably from spending so much time out here. His hoodie had several gashes, possibly due to wild Pokémon attacks. The feature Serena was most concerned about was that his body trembled violently, and he breathed erratically.

"Serena, are you okay?" she heard Ash call.

"There's someone here!"

"What?!"

"Yeah, he's not looking too good!"

Some rustling later, along with a few grunts of pain, Ash emerged through the bush with an astounded expression as he saw both the surroundings and the person.

"What happened out here?" Ash asked, looking around them.

"I don't know," Serena responded, while Pikachu nudged him with his head, to see if he was alive. "You think that there might be something wrong with him?"

Ash took one look at the person before them, then at Serena. Serena silently cursed herself; _Really? You had to ask him THAT? You're so stupid!_ Thankfully, he gave no indication that she was stating the obvious, instead opting to lower the person's hood.

"Based on how he looks now, definitely. I think a Pokémon attacked him."

"Think it was the roar we heard earlier?"

"Yeah, that was most likely a wild Pokémon attack. Here," he grabbed under one of the person's arms, "help me take him back to camp."

Serena nodded and took the other arm over her, helping the person up. Unfortunately, he was unconscious, so his bare feet dragged behind him, and he was still shuddering, making this task a bit more difficult. She started to struggle, but Braixen was already on it, stowing her branch in her tail and lifting his arm with her. Together, the three of them managed to hoist/drag the person through the plants and back to the campsite, where the other two siblings were busy getting ready for the night. As they looked up to see Ash and Serena, their eyes widened in shock when they saw the third person with them and they rushed over to help.

"What happened to him?" Clemont asked, looking concerned as they put him on the table.

"Well, I can't say for sure what happened, but he's definitely sick," Serena said, after setting him down on the table. The young man was still sleeping as they spoke. It may have been her imagination, but Serena thought he stopped trembling as he was set down. "We'll need to make sure that he's going to be okay. He may have been attacked"  
"Did he get attacked by the monster from earlier?" Bonnie said, staring at the unaware form of the person.

"Bonnie!" Clemont scolded her sister, obviously irritated at her words. "Yes, he might've been attacked, but that doesn't mean that there are such things as monsters."

"But why was he in the woods?" she asked.

"He probably was walking through the woods and attacked by a Pokémon! There are some dangerous Pokémon that come out at night, anyway."  
"Why doesn't he have his own Pokémon?" Serena asked, noticing his belt. There were no Pokéballs attached.

"Well, I don't know how else to explain how he ended up like this!" Clemont replied, growing frustrated. "We can ask him in the morning. I'm really tired now; let's get some sleep."

"Yeah," Ash said, yawning. "I'm all worn out."

The others nodded, but Serena looked a bit disappointed. She was so close to confessing to Ash, but it was all dashed to pieces with the new arrival. If he hadn't been found, or if the "monster" hadn't been heard, then perhaps she would have had more time to telling Ash her true feelings.

"Serena?" Bonnie said, making her return to reality, "Let's go to bed."

She nodded, cheered up a bit by her happy tone.

"See you when we wake up," Ash said, rubbing an eye sleepily; the others also said their farewells, then went into their tents. It was then Bonnie pointed out that it wouldn't be nice to leave their guest out in the open. After a minute of discussion, Ash agreed to donate his spare blanket for him. He retrieved it from his pack inside the tent, covered the person with it, and headed back for some sleep. The others did also and soon entered their various dreams.

* * *

The ground wasn't as comfortable as he remembered. It was more solid than usual.

After a considerable amount of stirring, the Keeper opened his eyes. He saw the stars above him glitter in the night, as they always did. Sitting up, he removed his hood and ran a hand through his hair. Dirt and grass rained down the front of his face. Some managed to get into his mouth, making him spit and recoil at the taste. He reached for his mask, but it wasn't there. Wasn't it-

Oh, yeah. He wasn't with the Beasts anymore.

He yawned, stretching his arms out and flexing his fingers. While rubbing his eyes, he shook his head to wake himself up. The blanket that he felt over him makes him think momentarily of the orphanage.

 _Wait a minute,_ he thought. _I didn't bring a blanket with me._

He looked down at himself, surprised to find himself on top of a camping table, covered by a blanket. He swiped a hand across his chest, brushing away leaves that had stuck there. After doing so, he slid his legs over the side of the table, rising to his feet. He glanced around and blinked in bewilderment.

He appeared to be some sort of campground, with just two tents facing each other. The campfire had been put out, though the ashes inside were still smoking. The ground beneath held a covering of damp grass, fresh and green.

He looked at the trees around him, unsure of where he was. After searching for Pecha berries, he couldn't remember exactly what happened next. He had become frustrated, and let out a yell that probably carried through the trees. Not to mention uproot the environment in his tantrum; _I'll have to be careful the next time I transform,_ he silently tells himself.

Then he realized where he was, and looked around. The facts dawned on him, with a mixed sense of dread:

A pair of tents facing each other, each probably holding a few sleeping occupants. The blanket that wasn't his. Not in the grove he had destroyed in his frustration.

 _The safe and pack had been left behind. And he was unmasked._

He growled, rubbing his forehead in irritation. _Great,_ he thought. _Not even a day out, and I've lost everything, along with my mask. Typical._

He swiftly strode past the tents, careful not to make himself noticed. The grass felt refreshing yet unfamiliar under his feet, compared to the rocky, uneven terrain he had grown accustomed to for years. He almost yearned to be back home.

However, his choice was made.

There wasn't any going back now.

He peered around him, trying to retrace his last steps. Because these people messed decided to bring him to their campsite, he lost valuable cargo. At least, he assumed it would be valuable.

If he could even get it open.

He passed by a pair of bushes, then paused. He turned and noticed that several branches were snapped off. It may have been a coincidence, but he decided to approach it.

As soon as he passed by them, he sighed in relief. He found the spot. Looking around, the Keeper studied the uprooted trees and bushes, scattered berries and nests of various Pokémon. He winced, not realizing the brutality of his last tantrum, and took a mental note to not let stress and anger get the best of his transformations.

Still, that could wait for later. He had a safe to find.

Passing through the destruction, stepping over fallen trees, he extended a palm. A small orb of fire appeared, firelight playing across the ground and trees. The Keeper glanced around him, worry expanding rapidly. _Did the Beasts find it and take it back? Has anyone passed through here in my absence?_

He walked around quietly, trying to pick out any sign of silver among the green. However, it looked like it wasn't with him as if something had taken it with them. The Keeper took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves, already on edge from lack of rest.

A glint of steel caught his eye, hidden under foliage. He spun on it, a spike of hope surfacing among the rising panic. He moved the branch aside with his free hand, and a grin broke across his face as he extinguished his fireball.

Sitting at his feet was the safe he had retrieved from the archives, his pack and mask leaning against its side. It looked ordinary, a steel box, slightly larger than his head. The front had an electronic keypad, silver buttons standing out among the dark gray. Above those buttons was a two-sided knob, guarding the secrets of the miniature vault. The only thing he knew about this was that it must've been important if the Beasts kept it well hidden from him.

He picked it up, not at all bothered by the weight of it. With a gesture of his hand, the pack rose off the ground, the straps snaking onto his shoulder. Then, looking down at his facepiece, he set it aside. He leaned down to retrieve his mask. It gleamed ominously in the moonlight, faint streaks of white visible among the black. He held it to his face, using psychic energy to tie the knots with the strings attached to it. After it was securely attached to his face, he looked around him. His vision returned to the everyday shades of multicolored light, due to the iridescent stained glass built into the mask. As the Keeper of the Beasts, he had to wear it as a symbol of his leadership, as the previous Keepers had once done. He knelt down and picked up his safe. It wasn't heavy, but it was going to hamper his traveling.

He exited the now-destroyed grove, quietly reveling in his luck. True, he may have gotten off to an unfortunate start, but that was quickly remedied with the return of the mystery safe and his mask. The Beasts had no idea where he could've gone, and the humans had unknowingly helped a fugitive. What could go wrong?

A sharp pain flared up in his chest. He stumbled, breath catching in his throat. Of course he had to ask that question; of course, the poison had to backfire. He wasn't sure what he was thinking when he thought about using the Silent Sisters' poison to create a memory-removing potion, it was poison regardless. Thus, he had been afflicted with the condition from the time he left the Beasts until now. By his guess, he had over a day before it would fully take effect.

He clenched his teeth, taking a minute to recollect his breath. After several seconds, the pain became tolerable, enough for him to continue traveling. He sighed and resumed his walking.

When the Keeper passed by the tents he paused. He glanced at the entrances, then at the woods ahead of him. These people had given him a temporary place to rest, even though they didn't know who he was. That wasn't what he expected from his teachings. _Maybe they've changed,_ he thought. _Those textbooks were outdated, anyway._

 _Or maybe they're setting up a trap,_ the real part of his mind chided. _Ever think about that?_

The Keeper muttered under his breath. He hadn't thought of that; there was always a part of him that tried to see the good in everything. Several years and the optimism in him was still existing. They were probably setting a trap for him, possibly scientists trying to discover his secrets.

From his time spent with his "former friends," he was taught (sometimes tortured) to remember one excruciatingly important detail: humanity was scum, and cared only for themselves. He was told Pokémon were no different, that they were the other reason why they suffered, but he didn't agree. He believed that Pokémon were often roped into the plans of his race, which either corrupted or enslaved them. Either way, humans were mostly to blame for the fault of Pokémon and his former cohorts.

And yet… they helped him. As painful as it was to admit, they gave him a place to rest. So he owed them.

An idea popped into his head. He set the safe down, then raised two fingers. A shaft of light appeared before him, no bigger than his thumb, shaped like a spear. It was only a fraction of his power, but he wasn't looking for attacking his hosts. He held it in his palm and flicked it, sending it into a spin.

 _I've got three options,_ the Keeper told himself. _If it points away from the tents, I'll leave them. If it points to the sides, I'll wait to ask them for directions, then leave them at daylight. If it points to the tents…_

 _You'll kill them._

 _No, not kill them. Most likely render them unable to travel, or bind them up until someone else finds them. Or they starve, whichever comes first._

The miniature spear finished spinning, the tip pointing to the trees away from the tents. The Keeper sighed, relieved that he wouldn't have to get involved with them. He retrieved his safe once more and set off. As he walked, he looked up at the stars, which had begun to disappear as the first streaks of dawn emerged from the twilight.

 _Better now than never,_ he mutely said. He pulled his hood over his head and walked off into the Keeper gave a glance at his crystal amulet, which pulsed a dull crimson and gold. Then he sighed and concentrated. He felt all of the confusion and irritation inside him, results of these humans' actions, before he cast them away, along with the other unnecessary emotions that were locked away and bottled up. Shoved away into an abyss where they would never be felt again. He stood there for a few minutes, controlling his breath and mood.

He looked at his talisman; it was now black.

He felt nothing anymore. And he liked it that way.

* * *

 **(A/N: So now, we've got some things going on here: who's the Beastkeeper? What's in the safe he's got with him? What was the thing that they heard in the woods? All of this will be answered, as the journey continues!**

 **...**

 **Sorry, couldn't help myself. Anyway, school's going to be a pain in the rear for me, so I may be late in updating this, but I will try to get a chapter out every so often. Apologies in advance. Let me know how I did. Did you like it? Leave a like and/or follow! Did you love it? Leave a like and/or follow! Did you hate it? You don't have to read, but let me know what I did wrong. Ciao!)**


	3. Chapter 2: Unwelcome company

**(A/N: Goodness me; time sure flies. So sorry for the delay; I'll try not to be lazy next time.)**

* * *

Chapter 3: Unwelcome Company

Ash woke up, squinting his eyes. The morning had come sooner than expected, and with it the sun; its rays pierced through the tent and brightened the inside. He looked to the side and noticed Clemont still sleeping.

"Looks like we woke up early, Pikachu," he said. His partner was an exact reflection of him; also asleep, his ears twitching as he dreamed. He leaned over and scratched his ears. "Time to get up, buddy."

"Pikaaaa," he whined and rolled over onto his back.

"Pikachu, come on," Ash said and begins poking him. Doing so only irritated the Pokémon. It wasn't until Ash tried lifting him up, at which point the Pokémon unleashed a couple dozen volts through his trainer; the attack caught him by surprise and he yells in shock.

"Okay," Ash moaned after the pain stopped. "Are we awake now?"

"Pi!" he snorted in reply. He stood on his back paws, shook his head, and leaped onto his trainer's head. He sighs and stood up. Then he heard the voices outside; they sound panicked, something had gone wrong as he slept. He rose from his sleeping bag, unzipped the tent door and poked his head out.

Serena and Bonnie were both calling out into the woods like they were looking for someone. Ash frowned in confusion until he saw the empty table.

"What's going on?" Ash asked.

"The person we helped bring back here?" Serena replied. "He's gone."

"He's gone?" Ash asked as he peered out. A noise from inside the tent made him turn; Clemont had just woken up, and, judging from the speed at which he clambered out of his sleeping bag, the news shocked him.

"But he's sick!" Clemont exclaimed, "Why would he leave like that? He isn't going to last out there like that!"

"Are you saying we should go look for him?" Serena asked. Clemont nodded as he looked around as if the stranger would pop out of the trees; he did not. "We need to find him before he gets worse!"

"What about breakfast?" Ash asked, as his stomach rumbled.

"We can worry about that later; we have other priorities."

"I don't know, breakfast is a pretty high priority..."

"Pika pi..."

"Ash Ketchum, you're thinking about food when a person's life is potentially at stake?!" Serena scolded, making Ash wince at the realization. "Now get moving!"

"Yes, ma'am," he responded, he and Pikachu picking his pace up as he followed Clemont. Soon, they were out, wearing their pajamas, as the sun continued its morning climb.

"So, where should we start?" Bonnie asked as they stood there. "I mean, it's not like we can follow him."

"I have an idea," her brother said, looking at the wooden table that made a temporary bed. He paced around it, in an attempt to find anything that would give him a clue. After his fourth inspection, he sighs and admitted that he could find nothing.

"Well then, I'll guess we'll have to improvise," Ash said, pulling one of his Pokéballs from his belt. Throwing it up, he called out, "Talonflame, I choose you!"

In a burst of light, the Fire and Flying-type came forth, ready for action. "Talon, tal!"

"Okay, Talonflame; we need some help here. I want an aerial view of our surroundings. Look for someone with a grey hoodie. When you find him, let us know, okay?"

The Scorching Pokémon gave his understanding with a nod, before taking to the skies. Ash looked where it had been, before turning to the others. "Now what?"

"We split up," Clemont said, "I'll go with Bonnie; Ash, you head out with Serena. If we find him, we'll send a signal with Dedenne or Pikachu."

"Right," Ash said. He joined Serena's side, as the Lumiose siblings headed into the woods. He followed her as she walked through the trees.

"Do you have any idea why he would leave?" he asked her. She shook her head; "If Clemont's right, then they're probably looking for people to help him."

"Why wouldn't he wait for us?"

"I don't know; maybe he's impatient?" she kept her gaze ahead of her. Ash stared at her, concerned why she was behaving like this.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Of course I am; why wouldn't I be?" she quickly responded. Her behavior was starting to worry him, though he wasn't trying to let that distract him from the current task.

"Well, do you think we'll find him?" he asked.

"It depends on when he left, I guess," she replied, not meeting his eyes. A thought suddenly occurred to him: she was going to tell him something last night. He tried to ask her about it, but a movement in the trees to his right distracts him. He glanced round to see a figure dash away from him.

"What- hey!" Ash shouted, catching the attention of Serena. "I saw someone, over there!"

This made them start running to the spot Ash pointed at, just as he did. The two of them carry the chase through the woods, as the pursued ran ahead of them. Minutes pass by, and eventually, they came to a small clearing. They turned on the spot, trying to locate the stranger that disappeared overnight. The bushes to the left shifted; Clemont and Bonnie emerged.

"Where'd he go?" Ash panted.

"He couldn't have gone far!" Clemont puffed, hands on his knees. Ash knew that the Lumiose Gym Leader wasn't in perfect athletic condition, as he was required to stay in one place most of his time, while Ash spent years of traveling through regions. He looked through the trees around him, trying to find their quarry.

"Anything, Pikachu?" Ash muttered.

"Pika, pi."

Suddenly, there was a gunshot; a pair of glowing, light blue nets flew through the air and simultaneously wrapped around Pikachu and Dedenne, making them fly off their respective trainer's shoulders and into the ground.

"Pikachu!"

"Dedenne!"

Both Ash and Bonnie yelled in panic, while the onlookers stared in shock to where the net was fired from.

"Prepare for trouble," a voice said.

"And make it double," a second voice joined in.

A pair of people, a man with short, purple-blue hair and a woman with long, deep red hair stepped out of the trees.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

'Meowth, that's right!" a scratchy voice added, as a Meowth leaped into view, holding what looked like a rocket launcher. "Wobuffet!" a Wobuffet added, saluting the group.

"Team Rocket!" Ash yelled, furious.

"Not these crooks again," Bonnie muttered, rather annoyed by their appearance.

"Seems like you've fallen into our trap once more," James said. "How stupid can you get?"

"What are you doing here?" Clemont asked, even though it was obvious to Ash. They didn't happen to show up by chance in his time traveling. The trio was always after his Pokémon, Pikachu specifically.

"You should know this by now, twerp," Meowth scoffed. To the Pokémon, this was the usual business. "We're after yer Pokémon, as usual."

"Really, I can't see why you would run into the trap?" Jessie taunted.

"So that was you we saw?" Ash snapped. "Back at camp, hiding in the trees?"

"What?" The jeering from Team Rocket stopped, confusion growing as they looked at him.

"Back there, in the trees," he went on, "we saw someone run off. That was you, wasn't it?"

"Now I'm lost," Meowth said. "There wuz a fifth twerp?"

"Last I checked, it was these four," James frowned. "Unless there was a miscount?"

Ash glanced back at Serena and Clemont. Both shared the same surprise that he was. If they weren't the person that ran off, then who did he see?

"If it wasn't you, then..." Ash said his thoughts aloud, before making the connection. His eyes widened, and he turned out to the woods. Cupping his hands to his mouth, he yelled, "Hey! Anybody out there?"

"Now what'z he doin'?" Meowth grumbled.

"If you ask me, I'd say he's listening to voices in his head," Jessie commented.

"Ash, what are you doing?" Serena asked. "What makes you think that they aren't lying?"

"It was him; I know it was," he replied, before turning back. "We need some help here!"

"Okay, I've heard enough," Jessie flourished her hand. "Gourgeist, Bullet Seeds!"

The ghost Pokémon spat out a barrage of seeds at the four travelers. They scattered, each running in an opposite direction. The pellets struck a tree, missing their target.

"Now dat'z not fair," Meowth whined, "How are we suppozed to hit da twerpz if they're runnin like dat?"

"We'll have to keep at it," James answered. "Inkay, Psybeam!"

The Inkay turned upside-down, firing a pink strand of energy down at Ash and Serena. Both leaped out of the way, so the attack was ineffective. This was repeated several more times, ending with the same result and increasing Team Rocket's frustration.

"Why won't they hold still?!" Jessie fumed, steam practically billowing out of her ears.

"Because they're better at dodging," James pointed out, eyeing the heavy pack Clemont wore. "Perhaps if we were to hit a slower moving target..."

Jessie followed his gaze, before grinning maliciously. "Indeed. Gourgeist, Shadow Ball on the science twerps!"

The Ghost and Grass-type Pokémon redirected its aim, forming an orb of vile, violet energy. After a second, Gourgeist fired. It barely missed, hitting the ground between the siblings, but it was enough to make them trip and stumble. Bonnie's foot got caught on a root, and she fell.

"Excellent!" Jessie crowed. "Team Rocket one, twerps none!"

Dedenne was panicking in his trap. He began using Thunder Shock over and over to try and break out, but it was no use.

"Save it; those nets could withstand a hundred timez your power," Meowth drawled, looking at the efforts Dedenne was making, to see them futile. "You'd need a legendary Pokémon to shut those off."

"And now," James said, "we deliver the final blow! Now Inkay, Psybeam!"

The Pokemon fires another stream of psychic energy. Bonnie tries to move, but her foot is caught under a root. Clemont looked up in time to see the attack closing in on his sister-

And see someone leap down from the trees, landing in front of Bonnie. A wall of bright pink light sprung up, almost out of the ground, surrounding Bonnie and the second person. Inkay's Psybeam struck it, only to momentarily stop and reflect into a tree. The rejoicing of Team Rocket stopped, the trio looking at the newcomer with confusion.

"Excuse me?" asked Jessie. "Who dares to interrupt Team Rocket's shining moment?"

The person didn't say anything. A hood, covering his face, prevented them from seeing him. He steadied his stance, clenching his fists at the side.

"Oh, so playing the hero are we?" James sneered. He thrust his hand out; "Now Inkay, Psybeam!"

The Revolving Pokémon fired another ray of pink energy. Bonnie looked up at her sudden guardian, expecting him to move out of the way. Instead, he drew a hand behind him, as it began to fill with electricity. Everyone gawks at him before he cast it out. A tendril of lightning shot from his hand, meeting the Psybeam with tremendous force.

"Is that-" Ash asked, astonished at what he saw.

"How is that possible?" Clemont sputtered. "That's Thunderbolt!"

The hooded person fired another attack; he started walking towards Inkay. By now, the Pokémon was doing its best to dodge the attacks of its enemy, frantically flying about as the person advanced on it.

Eventually one of the electric attacks found its mark: Inkay was enveloped in a cloak of electricity and let out a cry of pain.

"Inkay!" James cried out. His Pokémon hung in the air for a moment, before falling to the ground, coming to a rest at his master's feet.

"What kinda twerp are we dealin' with now!?" Meowth asked in a panic.

"Gninraw eno teg uoy," the stranger said, his strange voice possessing the characteristics of a sword; sharp and cold, straight to the point. It made everyone around him wince at his savage tone. "Ot uoy ecrof lliw I ro, nwod kcab."

"Excuse me?" Jessie asked, fear mixing with outrage. "I may have flunked foreign language, but I know when I'm being ordered. What kind of twerp gives us orders? Gourgeist, Bullet Seed!"

The Pumpkin Pokémon obeyed, spitting out another barrage of seeds. The hooded man raised his arm. The wall of pink light appeared again, shielding him and Bonnie from the attack. It faded; he held his hands above him. A ball of fire formed, roughly the size of a bowling ball. He lobbed it at the Pokémon, which turned into a five-pointed star right before exploding upon impact.

The Pokémon collapsed, next to its comrade. By now, all three members of Team Rocket were shaking in fear at the sight of the young man.

"Meowth, do something!" Jessie said, pointing a shaking finger.

"Wut am I suppozed to do?!" he panicked.

"Fury Swipes; you're a Pokémon, after all!" James said.

The feline Pokémon groaned, before extending white claws. He rushed the hooded young man. The person steadied his stance…

And lashed a fist out, clocking Meowth in the face. He cried out, grabbing at his face; the young man grabbed the Pokémon by the tail and lifted him up.

"Keaw," he spat and tossed him back at Team Rocket.

"Denraw erew uoy," he said, as he held his hands out. Both glowed white before a gigantic pillar was fired. The attack hit the ground just under them, creating a deafening explosion. The blast launched them up, and the nets with Pikachu Dedenne flew to the side.

"We're blasting off again!" the trio screamed, as they disappeared into the sky, leaving their signature gleam.

"Pikachu!" Ash ran over to his partner, still wrapped in the netting Team Rocket used to capture him. He pulled against the ropes, but it was too tight.

"Clemont, a little help," he said. The gym leader nodded, coming to his side and throwing a Pokéball up. In a flash of light, out came a small Pokémon, a Chespin.

"Chespin, ches!" he said happily with a shake of his head.

"Chespin, help out Pikachu and Dedenne," Clemont commanded. "Use Pin Missile!"

The Pokémon obliged, the quills on his head glowing white and firing a barrage of darts. They flew upwards, before making a rapid descent. Just as they were about to hit both Pokémon-

They froze. Each attack began glowing blue, floating in the air.

"Enasni uoy era?"

They turned to the voice. The hooded young man had an arm outstretched, the fingers quivering.

"Nomékop eht dna ten htob egamad ot dnuob si taht ekil kcatta na. Neppah ot taht tnaw uoy od?" he sounded angry; as if they had made the wrong choice.

"Well," Clemont blinked, adjusting his glasses, "we can't understand what you're saying. Do you think you could-"

In a swift motion, the boy threw his arms out, each projectile flying into the trees around them. He whirled around and slashed downward; he was suddenly holding a pair of curved katanas, each pink and seemingly made of light. The tips of his swords rested at the noses of both Pokémon. The nets around them fell away, and he made his weapons vanish with a wave of his hand.

"Pikachu," Ash gasped, his partner recovering from his stance and running up to his trainer. Dedenne did likewise to Bonnie, the small Pokémon leaping into her arms. The person stumbled, clutching his chest.

"Excuse me?" Clemont asked. "Are you-"

He never finished; the hooded young man fell to his knees. He began to convulse, all while trying to stay upright.

"P-Pecha," he grunted, clawing over his heart in apparent discomfort, "I need… P-P-Pecha, o-or Lum..." and he collapsed, spasming violently. The four rushed around him, forming a tight circle.

"What's wrong with him?" Bonnie asked immediately, wide-eyed at the person's shuddering.

"Pecha, or Lum," Clemont repeated, hand on his chin. He snapped his fingers; "I got it! He's been poisoned! Pecha Berries are used to help poisoned Pokémon, while Lum Berries can cure any status conditions. He must've been looking for those berries this morning."

"What should we do?" Serena asked, concern exposed in her voice.

"We'll need to do his job for him: find those berries. Bonnie, have Dedenne look for any berries around here; one of them's bound to be a Pecha Berry. Ash, do you have Talonflame with you?"

"He still hasn't returned from his flight," Ash was going to admit. Before he could, a gust of wind caught him mid-sentence. He turned to see his Pokémon fly down from the sky and remain in place in the air. It looked down on him expectantly, as if it knew Ash had orders for him.

"Talonflame, perfect timing," Ash said while walking up to the Pokémon. "New job for you, alright? Fly around the forest and look for Pecha berries. Gather as much as you can and bring them back. Think you can handle it?"

It let out an affirmative outcry as it rose into the air again. It sped over the trees and out of sight. He turned to see Defense and Pikachu run off into the woods to search for berries. Clemont called Serena over, setting up the makeshift kitchen and giving instructions on how to create an antidote. Ash looked at the hooded stranger, still laying down the floor.

"Bonnie, can you give me a hand?" he asked. She nodded, coming over to Ash's side as he lifted the young man to his knees. He grabbed him by his arm and hoisted him up. Bonnie tried to do the same but struggled with the weight. The two of them managed to set him against a log, in a decently comfortable position. The hood fell from his head, revealing his face. Ash looked up and blinked in surprise.

The stranger was wearing a mask, though it resembled a black diamond over his face. A vertical slit ran through the middle, filled with multi-colored glass instead of eyes. Holes had been drilled in the sides, allowing a cord to slide through and keep his mask tied to his face. A row of tiny spikes ran down the top center. There was a minuscule hole instead of a mouth, which made Ash wonder how he would eat.

"What's he wearing?" Bonnie asked, looking up at his mask. She was also mystified but slightly disturbed by it.

"It looks like a mask."

"Well, that's obvious, but what's it supposed to be? Why is he wearing it?"

"I honestly don't know."

"Bonnie, can you help me with making the antidote?" Clemont called over. His sister stood up and rushed over to his aid. Ash turned back to the stranger lying on the ground, who was still shivering.

"Hang in there. We're gonna get help."

* * *

Midday had fallen by the time Talonflame returned. The raven-haired trainer had spent his time pacing the area nervously, sometimes checking on the unconscious mystery hero. His stomach rumbled in protest, but after Serena's snap at him earlier, he decided that it wasn't important now.

He heard the rustle of wings above him; Ash turned up to see his Pokémon soaring down, a bundle of berries inside its talons. The Kanto trainer ran up to it, holding his hands out to receive the pile of berries. The Pokémon opened its talons, and the berries fell into his palms. Ash examined them; most were pink and green, shaped like small spheres. Ash brought them over to Clemont, who was busy stirring the pot of boiling water. He looked up, distracted by his approach.

"You got the berries?" he asked. Ash nodded, holding his hands out. Clemont looked at them, nodding in satisfaction at them. "Yep, these are Pecha and Lum Berries. Thanks, Talonflame."

The Pokémon nodded in appreciation, before flying down to its trainer's side. Ash handed the berries to Clemont before he held a Pokéball up and called it back. He glanced back at the stranger who was still lying against the log. "It's strange that he's wearing a mask, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "What's it supposed to look like?"

"Maybe a Pokémon?" Clemont guessed. "If so, I've never seen it before."

Ash turned his gaze towards Serena, who had taken the time to practice her routine for future performances. She was finishing up her grand finale, which consisted of Braixen and Pancham dancing across a pair of stone pillars created from Stone Edge as they fired streams of fire and dark energy. Eevee wasn't up for public performances yet, but still watched the performances with an awestruck expression. Her trainer looked graceful, giving orders with a confident smile that warmed Ash down to his center, hair shining from the particles created by embers and strong sunlight…

He shook his head and felt his cheeks ignite. Those thoughts had wandered into his head _again_. It was strange, but not really unpleasant. He had been experiencing those for a while now, ever since Serena gained her second Princess Key. She helped him a lot on his journey, while he hadn't exactly repaid the favor. And she was… cute. The thought made him blush, which he tried to hide by turning away to Bonnie, who was humming her lullaby while stroking Squishy to sleep.

"And the antidote is finished!" Clemont announced. He dipped a ladle into the concoction he created and retrieved it, taking a whiff. He nodded in approval, picking up a cup and pouring the antidote in. He made his way over to the stranger and knelt down by him. The Lumiose gym leader shook the stranger's shoulder, but he didn't respond.

"Um, sir?" he asked, with a raised voice. "I have something for your condition, but you're going to have to remove your mask."

The person gave no response, making Ash wonder if he was awake. Clemont took a step closer and raised his voice again. "Sir? I have your antidote. You're going to have to take your mask off."

Again, no reply. Clemont hesitated and reached for his mask. "Looks like he's asleep. Then I guess I should do it-"

The stranger was up in a flash, hands reaching for Clemont's throat. With a surprised cry, he lurched backward, the cup flying out of his hands into the grass, contents spilling out of it. The others shouted in surprise as Clemont found himself lying on his back, pinned down by the masked person whose hands hadn't left the inventor's neck.

"Tser ym brutsid erad uoy?" he snarled, kneeling above Clemont, who was trying to pry his neck free from the person's hands. He failed however when he discovered that he had a grip similar to iron. "Yrevocer ym ni em ksamnu dluoc uoy thguoht?

"I-I-" Clemont sputtered, trying to get a breath. This only resulted in his captor tightening his hold around his neck, making him gasp for air.

" _Rrats eht ot Rieh eht hcaorppa erad uoy?"_

"Let him go!" Bonnie pleaded, running over and trying to free her brother. The stranger looked up at her approach, though his hands never left Clemont, who was now turning blue in the face. His hands leaped off suddenly, and Clemont greedily sucked in fresh air as the stranger howled in pain. He clutched his head and shuddered on his knees.

"Antidote..." Clemont breathed out. He was laying on the ground, dazed from lack of oxygen, as Bonnie worriedly looked at him. "Poison..."

"The antidote!" Ash realized. In the chaos created by his awakening, they had forgotten about his condition. "He's still poisoned!"

Serena tore her eyes off the stranger, who was struggling to stay upright. She ran over to the pot of medicine and dipped a cup in, before running over to the masked man. He looked up from his shaking at the cup, then at Serena.

"Drink it," she said, offering it to him. When he recoiled, she added, "Please, drink it. It's medicine for your poison; it'll help."

His mask returned to looking at the cup in her hand, though with the mask on it was hard to tell what he was looking at. He stared at it in silence before glancing up at Serena, who nodded with a smile. Almost immediately he snatched it from her at a blinding speed, making her yelp at his movement. His free hand swiped at his face, taking the bottom half of the mask with it. He put the cup to his lips and gulped it greedily, draining it within seconds.

"Wow," Bonnie commented, "and I thought Ash ate fast."

Ash looked at her in mild irritation; he didn't eat _that_ fast, did he? He always did eat quickly so he could get on with training, and he savored the food that was in front of him (especially if it was Serena's) so he had to get every last bite of it-

 _Wait. Now that I think about it,_ Ash thought, _I do eat fast._

The stranger let his hand drop to his side, still clutching the cup as he let out a deep breath of relief. He tightened his hold on the styrofoam cup, effectively reducing it to a pile of trash. He stowed it away in his pocket as he rose up unsteadily. He gave Serena an apathetic look, making her smile falter before he turned to Clemont, who had begun to get to his feet with his sister's help. He pointed to him.

" _Don't_ ," he growled at him, his voice now perfect English and making Clemont flinch at the knifelike tone, "touch my mask."

Clemont nodded in response, and the person grunted. He looked around at them, his mask moving to each of their faces. Ash couldn't help but feel he was being studied by the stranger, as if he was wondering if he should attack them.

"Where am I?" he finally asked. The question made them blink. What did that mean? Was he asking about what forest he was in?

"Just outside of Anistar city," Serena said. She pointed towards the trees. "The city's a few days away from here."

"I meant region," he responded in mild exasperation, "though if you said Anistar, that must mean I'm in Kalos, right?"

"Y-yeah," she answered, taken aback by his way of speaking. He just saved Bonnie _and_ their Pokémon from Team Rocket, so he must've been nice if he was willing to help them out. He muttered something under his breath that sounded like "Could've been worse." He addressed the group again, hands placed behind him. "State your names, positions, and objective."

"Come again?" Ash asked.

"Just tell me who you are," he snapped at them.

"Easy there; no need to be mean about it," the raven-haired teen said, hands raised in what he hoped was a friendly gesture. "I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and this is Pikachu." He nodded to the Pokémon on his shoulder, who was staring at the young man with apprehensiveness.

"Pika..." he growled at the visitor, cheeks sparking. That caught Ash off guard. Usually, Pikachu was friendly to newcomers unless they were unpleasant to him. The stranger was a bit rude, but that wasn't a need for him to threaten to attack him.

"Hey, it's okay bud," Ash tried to comfort the Mouse Pokémon, rubbing his head. "He's just asking a question-"

"I don't care if you don't like me," the guest interrupted. Ash looked up at him in confusion. "I didn't say-"

"Not you, him." He nodded to Pikachu, who looked astonished. Apparently, the stranger could understand him, even though he only growled. "Anyway, what is your intention?"

"My intention?"

"Your ambition, desire, your goal in life."

"Oh, well, I want to become a Pokémon Master!" Ash pumped his fist in confidence at his dream. His action made the guest snorted softly, which made Ash indignant, as that was his lifelong goal, but by then they had turned towards Serena.

"And you?"

"Oh, well I'm Serena, and I'm trying to become a performer."

"I see," he murmured, before finally turning to the Lumiose duo. "And you two?"

"I'm Bonnie, and this is Clemont," Bonnie said, indicating her brother. "And this is Dedenne!" She pointed to the Pokémon on her head. Like Pikachu, he was glaring at the Keeper, his antennae sparking with electricity. Upon noticing, she reached a hand out to pat his head reassuringly.

"I save you from a criminal group, and this is how you thank me?" he said, a hint of bemusement in his voice. "No matter. Your positions, if you please."

"Well, my brother's the gym leader of Lumiose city, so he's got a bunch of strong Pokémon with him, and he's really smart! One day I'll bet he's gonna be a great scientist!"

"Don't push your luck," he said. Bonnie immediately frowned at him, while Clemont looked flustered at her appraisal; "What's that supposed to mean!?" the young girl asked.

"The future isn't solid. It shifts constantly, never staying in place. You could find yourself as a waiter in a restaurant ten years from now, or live on the streets begging for money. Whatever you have planned, be sure to have a failsafe."

"Smart words," Clemont commented. "Before I forget, thanks for the help back there. It's strange meeting someone like you, no offense."

"Meaning?"

"Well, someone who can use moves like a Pokémon-"

"And?" he cut across sharply. "What about that?"

"Did I strike a nerve?" the gym leader asked nervously. "I wasn't trying to make fun of you. I was only going to say that I've never seen someone who has your abilities."

"That's all?" he asked. The apprehension from before had somewhat dimmed. Clemont nodded, silently hoping that he wouldn't be the next victim of his attack. The masked guest looked at him for a minute more, before looking away. "Very well."

"Would you mind if we asked who you were?" Serena asked gently.

"Won't matter."

"Why?" she asked in surprise. In response to her question, he took a step forward, stumbling slightly. He allowed himself to regain his footing before standing up straight.

"Because I'm leaving."

"You just got here!" Ash exclaimed. "You ask us our names, save us from Team Rocket, and just plan on vanishing without thanks?"

"That was my intention from the beginning. If I had been quicker, then we wouldn't be having this conversation, and I would be safely distanced away from you."

With that, he resumed walking, heading towards the trees that were in the opposite direction Serena pointed. The group stared at him in shock, watching him leave without another word. Ash suddenly moved towards him, stepping in his path and reaching a hand out to his shoulder.

"You should stay!" he said, beginning to rest a hand on him. "It'd be great to get to-"

"Do not touch me."

The words cut across like a knife, and the words died in Ash's throat. He quickly retracted his hand, and the hooded stranger barely turned his head towards him.

"I want to make one thing clear: I don't need help. I don't need anyone, or anything, to watch and take care of me. All I want is solitude, a life away from people like you."

Ash gulped soundlessly. The normally cheerful atmosphere that encompassed the group had chilled significantly, bordering the definition of frigid. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he shivered in response to the suddenly arctic air. Pikachu did likewise, though he still held a defiant glare at the guest.

"You're not very nice!" Bonnie called at him.

Both males turned to her, Ash surprised to see her stand up and glare at the guest. In wordless reply, the stranger nodded to her. "Explain."

"We helped you out last night, gave you a place to rest and some medicine, but all you've done is be a big meanie to us!"

"At least I'm not a little brat," he shot back.

His words were immediate; she let out a small gasp and stepped backward. Clemont stood up suddenly, his hesitant expression replaced by a protective scowl. He wrapped his arms around his little sister, who retreated into his embrace and buried her face in his arms. Serena stood as well, looking at the offender with a glare similar to Clemont's. She had been like a big sister to Bonnie, always making her laugh and keeping her entertained. She was _not_ about to let someone insult her like this.

"Apologize right now!" she said, almost yelled at him.

"For what?" he replied. "Defending a false claim against me with a truth? Hardly."

"Oh no, you don't!" Ash said, sharing the same look as Serena and Clemont. "You're going to say sorry for hurting her feelings!"

"Or what?"

The words came out without hesitance, and he turned to the Pokémon trainer with a certain boldness. Ash clenched his teeth. He had a strong sense of justice and wasn't about to let someone walk away so easily from this. The way he acted though, made him hesitate and think about backing down…

"Pika!" his partner cut in. Ash glanced sideways; his Pokémon's cheeks were sparking, and his eyes burned with anger.

"You sure?" he asked. Pikachu nodded; Ash turned back and flung his arm out. "Okay then. Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

The small Electric-type leaped from his shoulder into the air, his whole body crackling with energy. "Pikaaa… CHUUUU!" he let out a mighty yell as a bolt of lightning flew from him. It streaked to the guest, but he made no attempt to move out of the way. As the attack arced towards him, the person rose a hand. It began to glow blue, and the bolt of electricity halted midair, surrounded by energy the same color as the air around his hand. He flicked his hand to the left. Pikachu's Thunderbolt flew into a likewise fashion. The others stared at the now charred tree before the young man cleared his throat. "My turn."

He rose his hand towards Pikachu; he was engulfed by cerulean light. He cried out and tried to move, but the energy held him in place. As the stranger lifted his hand, Pikachu rose into the air, the others watching in muted shock. He abruptly threw his hand to the side, and the Pokémon flew into a tree, shattering the bark.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled out, watching his Pokémon in horror. The person lifted his hand again and thrust it down. Pikachu flew up again and rapidly plummeted into the dirt. When he tried to get up, the person repeated his action again. Pikachu continued to struggle to stand, only to be flung upwards and crash into the ground over and over, until he didn't get up.

"Had enough?" the stranger asked, walking over and kneeling beside the poor Pokémon. He was now covered in bruises and dirt, though his opponent hadn't taken any damage at all. Despite his condition, Pikachu's eyes still burned with the same determination as before. He slowly, achingly moved his body onto its side and glared up at him.

"Very well," he said, and with a flick of his hand, sent the Pokémon tumbling across the ground towards his trainer. When he reached Ash's feet, he let out a small groan and made no move to get up. Ash picked him up, pressing the Mouse Pokémon's body against his chest and looking at the stranger.

"Have I made myself clear?" he said, his voice as indifferent as ever. "If so, then I make my leave now."

He turned to go, moving his hands into his pockets. Ash growled quietly, before setting Pikachu down and dashing after him. The others called out to him, but he didn't care. One thing mattered to him, and that was justice. He reached out and yanked his hood down. He achieved his goal instantly, as the stranger whirled around and Ash found himself tossed into the air, staying in place. As he hung there, his captor readjusted his hood with one hand, using the other to hold Ash in the air. When he finished he turned up to look at him, though anything he might've been thinking was hidden behind his mask.

"Do you have a death wish?" he asked in a low voice. "Because I've never seen someone as reckless, or brave, as you."

"I challenge you," Ash stated boldly. "I challenge you to a Pokémon battle."

The person paused; his hand lowered slightly so Ash sunk with it.

"But I have no Pokémon with me. How am I to fight?"

"Use yourself. We all know you're capable of using Pokémon moves. Tomorrow, at sunset, we will fight."

The guest stood silently, apparently considering his words. Ash retained his bold glare, but deep inside, he was screaming at himself. Part of him was calling him stupid, while the other was repeatedly kicking his brain for being so dense. Then, to his complete and utter surprise, he found himself lowered to the ground, and he was facing the stranger.

"I accept your challenge. Winner decides the terms." He reached a hand out to him. "Deal?"

After a moment of silent debate, Ash nodded and took his hand, resisting the urge to shudder at the feeling of his worn bandages. The stranger nodded in satisfaction and turned away from him.

"Wait, where are you going?" he asked.

"In the woods, to my own space. I'm going to find a spot to rest for the night."

"Would you like to stay with us for the night?"

"With people like you? I'd rather stay on an island out in the middle of the sea," he responded, to which Ash scowled.

"Listen, if you don't want to stay with us, that's fine," he said. "Just don't be rude about it."

The hooded guest just nodded and turned away, walking off into the trees. Ash merely grunted and followed suit, turning away from where the stranger once was and headed back to the others.

When Ash reappeared in the clearing with the others, he noticed that Pikachu was in Serena's lap, and she was gently wrapping bandages around his head while Clemont applied some potions to his wounds. Bonnie looked like she wanted to help, but she was still clearly affected by the stranger's stinging remark; Dedenne was doing her best to comfort her by rubbing his head against her cheek.

They looked up at him as he emerged from the woods, and he gave a wave. They nodded back to him, Serena setting Pikachu aside and getting to her feet. She hurried over to him, and part of him wanted to hug her, but he resisted. Only because it would weird her out. She was his friend, after all.

However, she had no objection to throwing herself at him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she buried her head under his. Ash blinked in surprise before his cheeks immediately reddened as he realized what he was doing. He returned the hug awkwardly, his arms finding their way around her waist. He glanced up at Clemont, who looked like he was trying to impersonate a Magikarp, while Bonnie giggled at the scene before her.

After a minute more of the slightly uncomfortable (although it was definitely welcoming), she let go, an adorable blush gracing her cheeks. "Sorry, I'm just… glad to see you're okay."

He smiled at her in response and pulled her back into a hug. This time, she made no movement against his actions; rather, she let out a small gasp of astonishment, before melting into his embrace. Ash wasn't sure where his intentions came from, but he certainly wasn't going to argue against them.

"Hey, remember who you're talking to?" he said. "Ash Ketchum, soon to be Pokémon Master. No need to worry. I'm alright."

She sighed in response, her head remaining in place. Part of him wished that they could remain like that, but he wasn't sure why that was. However, it was in silent agreement that they reluctantly drew apart, both chuckling nervously and trying to avoid each other's eyes.

"So, uh," Ash said, trying to make conversation, "thanks for taking care of Pikachu."

She nodded, hands placed behind her back as she gave a small grin. "You're welcome! Though Clemont was a big help, too."

"It was nothing, really," the blond-haired boy sighed, rubbing his head in embarrassment. "I just gave him some potions..."

"Well, you helped him out, so thanks," Ash grinned. He walked over to Pikachu, dropping to a knee and rubbing his head gingerly. He hadn't taken a good look at his Pokémon in the chaos with the stranger, but now that he did, he wished that he could force the stranger to apologize or have his partner rushed to a Pokémon Center. "How're you holding up, buddy?"

"Pika..." he moaned, trying to smile but failing. Ash grimaced; the attacks done by the guest had done a number on him. He rubbed his head again, then stood up and faced the others. The stranger's actions had dimmed the mood greatly, and even he was starting to feel its effects. However, he wasn't about to back down. He had challenged him to a battle which would take place in a day. And he would win.

"Guy, I've got something to say," he said, the others looking up to him. "This person may have been rude to us-"

"You can say that again," Bonnie muttered darkly. Her childish enthusiasm had vanished, probably a result of his remark. "Maybe I should call him 'Rudy.'"

"Bonnie," Clemont sighed, though it was wasn't really chastising. He draped an arm around her and pulled her close. She gave a soft sigh, resting her head in his arms. "It's not nice to call someone names because they were mean to you. Though you do have a point: he was incredibly impolite to us."

"No kidding," Serena scoffed, folding her arms. "What's his deal?"

"None of us know, but that's not the point. The point is: I've challenged him to a duel."

Everyone let out a startled gasp at his revelation. He gave a quick explanation of what happened when he confronted him, and how he accepted his proposal so easily. When he finished, they started to protest but he raised a hand to stop them.

"I know, I know that he's strong and can use moves by himself-"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu weakly added indicating his bandages. Ash nodded; "Yeah, I know that he did that to you too, Pikachu. But I wouldn't have challenged him if I didn't think I could beat him."

"Ash, how are you going to beat him?" Serena asked. "There's no telling what other moves he can do, along with how strong he is. You really think you can beat him by yourself."

"No, I don't."

This earned confused looks from his friends, Pikachu tilting his head in bewilderment. Ash frowned before he realized his mistake and quickly corrected himself, "I mean, _I_ can't beat him, at least not by myself. I'm gonna need your help."

The others nodded to show that they understood, though Ash could see the doubt in their faces. He knew that he had just challenged a formidable opponent without thinking and what he was doing was probably insane, but he wasn't about to go down without trying. After all,

"Don't give up till it's over."

Clemont and Bonnie looked up as both Ash and Serena said the same phrase at the same time. They shared a quick moment of locked eyes before a grin broke across Ash's face. Those words had come back again to give hope, to give a surge of confidence that he desperately needed, and back him up in a dark time.

Just like Serena tended to do.

"That's right. Don't give up till it's over," Ash said, facing Clemont, Bonnie, and Pikachu. "We just started this, so we can't back out now. We can do this! I'm not the only one who's got strong Pokémon, you know!"

"That's true. Luxray is plenty strong, so he'll be a big help to you," Clemont pointed out. Ash nodded and turned to Serena. "And your Pokémon aren't just for performances, either; they've gone against Team Rocket before and beat them!"

"Yes, that's right," Serena smiled. "They'll be glad to assist."

"My point exactly!" Ash said, "He may be strong, but so are we! So as long as we give it our all, we have a chance at coming out at the top. So let's do it!"

Everyone in the clearing let out a cheer, Pikachu getting to his feet unsteadily. Ash called his Pokémon out and gave them a quick rundown of the enemy, before relaying his speech to them and giving them confidence. As they began training and Ash grinned to all of them, he turned to Serena, who was giving her own pep talk to her Pokémon.

 _Thanks, Serena,_ he thought, _for all of this. Couldn't have done it without you._

* * *

 **(A/N: Having mixed thoughts about this chapter; part of me is glad to have it done, the other... feels like it needs improvement. Let me know how I did please; I'm open to reviews for this.**

 **As for the sentences that my OC said, well, if you haven't figured it out yet, it's mirror talk: he spoke backward. A bit of a stretch, but he's kinda paranoid. The backstory on him to be revealed later on. Anyway, happy holidays!**

 **Did you like it? Leave a like and/or follow! Did you love it? Leave a like and/or follow! Did you hate it? You don't have to read, but let me know what I did wrong. Ciao!)**


	4. Chapter 3: The Battle part I

_A/N: I have returned..._

* * *

Chapter 3

The Duel: part 1

The Keeper found attacking trees a great stress reliever and method of training. Every strike that drove itself into the wood, combined with the feeling of the trunk splintering under his power, gave him a rush of excitement.

That being said, he didn't punch the wood with his bare fists. To do so would be incredibly painful, not to mention stupid. Instead, he implemented various attacks he was taught to develop strategies against future enemies.

The bark in front of him shattered from his Thunder Punch, and the wood chips fell to his feet. He levitated another log into the air and floats it in front of him. Sometimes, he would imagine that he was facing a real opponent. As he psychically lifted up a log he closed his eyes in concentration.

 _A violent criminal threatens to shoot him unless he complies to his demand._

WHAM! They fell to his mighty Power-Up Punch. He brushed their remainders away with his foot, before the next challenger rose up.

 _An evil head of organization has plans to rule the world._

CRACK! They're no more, thanks to another Power-Up Punch. This time, multiple logs flew up, and circled him. Faster and faster they spun, blurring around him.

 _A group of government officials attempt to bring him in for experimenting on how he's able to use Pokémon powers._

With a yell he unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, each surrounded by various forms of energy while they lay waste to the imaginary adversaries. This was textbook material: charge up your attack while dealing minimal amounts of damage before revealing the big surprise and take the victory home. Within a minute, all the logs were reduced to pieces of wood and nothing more. He held his pose, a fist held out in the air where a log once was, before he sighed. He recollected himself before looking around, viewing the still twilight.

He was alone, as he liked to be. Small rays of light filtered through the leafy canopy over him, heralding the arrival of dawn. Silence surrounded the Keeper, something he didn't have much of before he abandoned his role. And now that he did have it, it was eerily peaceful.

A small growl reached his ears.

He turned on the spot, trying to locate the source. After several seconds of confused searching, the growl is heard again. He felt his cheeks flush, realizing that the culprit was himself. The sound that met his ears meant feeding time, a period he did not enjoy. Months and months of living with his captors deprived him of his senses and morals; he did anything he wanted to. Now that he was back in his world, he would have to cope with their definition of morality while finding a place of refuge.

Some activities, like training and meditation, would've been thought as reasonable or permitted. Feeding time, on the other hand… he was certain that he would be thought as an animal if he was seen in public while feeding.

When he was first introduced to the concept, the Keeper was, he begrudgingly admitted, repulsed by the idea. When he was given the various benefits that arose from it, he was forced to accept and proceed with it. He was not proud of it, but found he would get more energy from it than usual methods.

Disgusting and untamed as it was, it was efficient. And had to be better than mingling with _those_ four, right?

He nodded in response to the unasked question. _Yes, yes it did._

He stalked off into the woods, ears straining to pick up any sounds that would give away the location of prey. For some minutes, there was nothing. Then, he turned to see bushes shiver. Ducking behind a tree, he held his breath as he saw the Pokémon come out.

A colossal bear, just a few inches shy of the Keeper. Its body was covered in brown fur, with a tan-colored ring on its chest. Its face seemed set in a permanent scowl as it sniffed the air. While it might've easily scared away smaller Pokémon, his aggression was nothing compared to the Keeper's powers. _Ursaring,_ he thought, as it marched past him. _Should provide more than enough energy._

He silently stepped out from his hiding spot, and into the open. He lowered his hood while simultaneously removing his mask, something he would do only when he was alone. A branch snaps under his bare foot, but he isn't looking for stealth. In order for this to work, he would first have to get the attention of the victim. It worked, as the Pokémon twitched its ears and turned around. Upon seeing the Keeper, the Ursaring bore its fangs in a defensive manner. However, the Keeper isn't intimidated. He stepped forward, keeping eye contact. The wild Pokémon snarled, not seeming to understand his intentions.

He took one more step. The Ursaring, deciding it was not having any more of this, swung a claw at the Keeper. He raised a hand, catching the attack and fiercely gripped the large paw. The Pokémon looked surprised for a second, before tugging his arm. But the Keeper didn't release it.

After some more useless struggling, the Keeper met the Ursaring's eyes. It ceased its attempts to free its arm and stared back. Its eyes were narrow, with black pupils, usually scaring any smaller Pokémon. But not the Keeper. If anything, Ursaring should be the one scared. With his free hand, the Keeper put a finger to his lips, like he was shushing the Pokémon.

Then he unleashed a wave of psychic energy, concentrating the power through his unblinking eyes. He knew he had succeeded because seconds later, the Ursaring's eyes glowed blue. Its arm slackened in the Keeper's hold, becoming limp. As the surge of psychic power abated, the Pokémon softly groaned. He released its paw as the Ursaring toppled backwards, landing with a resounding crash. By the time the Keeper lowered his hand and walked over to it, it was asleep.

He considered what he was about to do a terrible act of self-survival. It was something that should never be done, or thought up in the first place. But as he heaved the Ursaring onto its stomach, he knew that he had no other choice. Berries would sustain him for less than half a day, if he could find any. The people who he had come across would have food only for themselves, not for a fifth traveler. Besides, they already disliked him.

He dropped to a knee just beside the Pokémon's thick head. He parted a small patch of fur, exposing the skin. As he felt each of his teeth sharpen, he recalled the phrase he spoke each time he would do this.

"What I am about to do right now," he whispered to himself, "is for the sake of my existence."

And he plunged his fangs into the Pokémon's neck.

* * *

"Where is he?" Clemont frowned. "He should be here."

The group had finished preparations the day prior, with Ash putting all of his effort into training his Pokémon before the big showdown.

Morning came, with Ash being up at the crack of dawn, unable to sleep due to the battle looming on the morrow. Deciding that sitting around wouldn't benefit he roused his Pokémon and they got to training with him. The others got up, breakfast was quickly prepared and eaten, and they waited.

Sunrise came and morning followed, and they continued waiting.

And they waited some more. Yet there was no sign of the stranger. Noon was fast passing by, but he was still absent. Ash sent Talonflame out to search for him, in case he forgot about his challenge today, but his Pokémon returned later, reporting that he hadn't been able to find him.

"Is there any chance that he's going to show up?" Bonnie asked boredly, a sandwich in her hands. Dedenne nodded in assent, nibbling on an Oran Berry. The group had resisted to break out the food, in case the stranger appeared in the middle of their lunch, but eventually they gave into their hunger.

"The way he spoke yesterday made it sound like he would leave as soon as he could," Clemont commented, keeping his food out of Chespin's reach, who was drooling and making attempts to grab his trainer's food. Ash agreed with a small nod, taking a minute to stop scarfing his food down to speak.

"But when I confronted him, he said he promised to come back," he said. "He has to show up, right?"

The blond inventor shrugged, holding his Grass-type with one hand while he ate his food. In truth, Ash was inclined to agree with him: he wasn't sure what to think about his opponent, or if he would appear to fight them. He was rude, but not in the haughty, prideful way like Gary used to be. He said he was strong, though he didn't brag about his strength. He was really mysterious.

Along with the fact that he could use Pokémon powers. That alone made him all the more intriguing.

While he returned to eating his sandwich, Ash turned to Serena, busy grooming Eevee's fur. Her Pokémon was relaxed, sighing as her trainer smoothed her fur out. Her smile made Ash slightly jealous because she was on the receiving end of her attention. He wanted to be in her place, to be-

He shook himself out of his stupor. What was going _on_ with himself? He figured that it was from lack of sleep, but a small part of him was whispering it was something else. Something stronger than jealousy.

Ash's cheeks turned a pale shade of salmon pink, though the only one nearby was Pikachu, and he was occupied with eating his food. He shouldn't think about that; he was her friend. He quickly finished off his lunch, and Pikachu, sensing his eagerness to resume training, followed suit. Brushing crumbs off his chin, he stood up and sought out a clearing to train.

When he found a place that wasn't crowded by trees he sent out his Pokémon and gave them their sparring partners: Noibat with Talonflame and Hawlucha, and Greninja against Pikachu. He wasn't able to get a sixth member since Goodra chose to stay behind at the marshlands, but he could fix that another time. In the meantime, he gave his Pokémon their assignments and stood back to watch them train.

He watched them train closely, trying to find any flaws that might come up in their fighting routines. The only problem was there weren't any, since they were so efficient and well-trained. He grinned at them, imagining the surprise in his opponent at how strong they had become.

He was so engrossed in studying their training that he didn't notice someone come up behind him.

"Hey."

He jumped, rapidly spinning around on the spot, picturing Team Rocket. Thankfully he was wrong; his Pokémon stopped their training to see the newcomer, who chuckled apologetically.

"Sorry," Serena said, rubbing the back of her neck, "I just wanted to see how training was going. You looked like you were really into it."

"Oh, uh, I was good," Ash stammered, trying to hide his embarrassment, "I mean, they were; um-" he sighed, "yeah, I was. They're doing really well."

"That's good," Serena said, smiling one of those smiles that made Ash's stomach flutter. He still didn't know why they did that to him. "I'd like to see his surprise when he realizes he messed with the wrong people."

"Yeah," he said, "he's going to have trouble getting past us."

"Especially you."

"Yeah. Wait- me?" Ash asked in surprise. His Pokémon decided to take a break from training and exited the area, leaving the two of them alone. Serena nodded firmly. "Why?"

"Well, you're a Pokémon trainer. You tend to have really strong Pokémon. You've seen tactics that were used in other regions so you can use them to your advantage. And," she blushed, "I believe in you."

Ash wasn't sure who was blushing stronger, him or Serena. He chuckled nervously, scratching his cheek. "Uhh… wow, thanks for that. It means a lot."

She nodded with a smile.

"But you shouldn't give yourself less credit."

"How so?" she asked, tilting her head quizzically.

"Well you may be a performer, but you're Pokémon certainly aren't weak. I wouldn't be surprised if they helped us out against the stranger. It just shows that you're a good trainer, too."

Serena's blush deepened, and she held a hand over her mouth. Ash thought he could make out a smile, but before he could look into it Bonnie emerged from the bushes, Pikachu beside her. "Hey guys! Whatcha up to?"

Both of the teens looked away hastily, doing their best to get rid of their crimson cheeks.

"Oh, just training," Ash said as Serena replied, "Talking!"

Bonnie giggled mischievously, in a way which made Ash nervous. When it came to Bonnie and tricks, she was a little demon, plotting a practical joke that could affect anyone, though it seemed to center on Ash and Serena.

A second later Clemont appeared after Bonnie, panting with effort from carrying his pack and moving the branches aside. He looked irritated, as if Chespin had managed to get away with his food.

"Bonnie, what have I told you about your vegetables?" he scolded. "You can't leave until you've eaten your greens!"

"I don't like eating my greens!" she pouted. "They taste yucky."

"It doesn't matter: vegetables will help you grow strong. Until then, you can't move from the table."

"But what if the stranger shows up?" she asked.

"Well he hasn't yet, so you have plenty of time to get them eaten."

They began bickering with each other, causing the onlookers to sigh. Ash turned to Serena and started to speak, but Pikachu's ear twitched and he looked up. He pointed upwards; "Pika pi!"

"Something wrong, Pikachu?" he asked. The twins were too busy arguing to even notice, but Serena looked up at the sky with Ash. Among the cloudless sky was a black speck, twin trails of red streaking behind it. Ash squinted, trying to get a better picture.

"What is that?" he asked aloud. "A Pokémon?"

The others looked to where his gaze lingered, squinting their eyes to try to make out the strange object. An ominous quiet had fallen on them all as they studied it, tensed up about its identity and intended destination.

"What kind of Pokémon is that?" Serena asked. "I don't think I've never seen it before."

"I'm not sure," Clemont responded. "Although I'm not sure it's really a Pokémon."

Pikachu growled in response, sparks flaring from his cheeks. Ash stared back up at the object flying through the sky, both apprehensive and intrigued by its approach. It wasn't exactly a Pokémon or airborne vehicle, thankfully not Team Rocket's balloon. They tended to use the trademark balloon for their schemes or some other mech, but this was too small.

The flying object was closer. The red streams behind it were actually trails of fire, streaking behind and propelling it forward. It almost looked human, arms held out at the side as they flew towards them, wearing a... grey jacket...

It clicked. The raven-haired trainer's jaw dropped as he let out a small groan of disbelief. "You've _got_ to be kidding me."

The others shared a look with him before they looked back at the approaching object. They seemed to also recognize it; Serena's mouth opened in shock while Clemont sputtered for a plausible explanation.

The stranger from the day before was _flying_. He flew towards them on tongues of fire streaming out from his open hands. His arms were held out at his sides, steadying himself during his flight. Surprisingly his hood stayed on his head, though it threatened to come loose from the mighty wind buffeting it.

He suddenly held his arms out in front of him, causing him to freeze midair and stay in place as if he wore a jetpack. He quickly angled his arms downward, palms open and fingers outstretched to allow more flames to expel. He slowly closed his hands, dimming the flames and he gradually descended until he came to the ground and the fires were extinguished. He stepped towards the awestruck group, putting his arms in his pockets.

"We meet again," he said. The others remained silent, stunned at his entrance, except for Pikachu and Dedenne, who growled and sparked their cheeks defensively. He turned towards the Pokémon, unfazed by their intimidation; "And hello to you, too."

"You… can fly," Ash finally said, pointing at him. He snorted in response.

"Of course I can. What's your point?"

"Well, you're so," Clemont struggled to find a response, before settling on "adamant."

"The shock of having powers wears off in time," he shrugged. "But I didn't come here to waste time talking. I believe a battle is in order. Should we proceed, or should I leave?"

"You're still rude," Bonnie muttered. The stranger looked at her but made no response. They each moved towards their positions after Ash recalled his Pokémon, Pikachu looking both eager and furious. Serena and the Lumiose siblings sat on a fallen log at the edge of the clearing. Ash recalled his Pokémon and took his place on the battlefield.

"I hope you're ready for this," he said to the young man opposite him.

"There will be no idle talking," he responded, flexing his fingers, "let's get this over with."

"Pika!" Pikachu said, leaping from Ash's shoulder and taking a defensive position, sparks crackling from his cheeks. Ash, however, was reluctant to let his best friend get beaten down again and refrained from choosing him.

"Hold on, Pikachu," he said as his Pokémon glared at him, "I don't want a repeat of yesterday."

"Pika, pika!"

"I know you aren't weak, but you seriously got hurt yesterday. I don't want to do that to you again."

"For the love of Necrozma, let him battle."

Ash looked up in surprise. It wasn't Serena who had spoken, neither Clemont nor Bonnie. The newcomer was staring at both of them from under his hood. He nodded as he flexed his fingers.

"You want him to battle?" Ash asked. "Why?"

"He needs a chance to redeem himself from yesterday's encounter. I attacked him outside of the battlefield, it's only fair if he try to earn his redemption. That is, if he's strong enough."

"Pika pika! Pikachu!" the Electric-type shouted at him from across the field. Ash could hear the defiance radiate from his words and felt a swell of pride for his Pokémon.

"All right then, buddy," he said. "But not yet. I've got to let you rest and let everyone else have a shot first. Deal?"

"Pi!" the electric mouse firmly nodded, taking his place on his trainer's shoulder. Serena and Bonnie had taken seats over on a fallen log to watch the battle, while Clemont assumed the role of referee. He raised an arm.

"The battle between Ash Ketchum and," he announced, then paused. He looked over at the stranger; "Can you say what your name is?"

"X."

"X?" Bonnie asked. "What kind of name is that?"

"X is the name I will substitute for this battle. If I lose, then I will tell you my real name."

"Wouldn't it be easier to use your real name right now?" Ash asked.

"No. Start the battle already."

Clemont sighed, mostly out of irritation than exhaustion, but raised his arm nonetheless. "The battle between Ash Ketchum and," he hesitated, " 'X', will begin-"

"Just him?"

The words that came out of X's mouth caught the referee and opponent by surprise. They stared at him, unable to tell if he was joking or genuinely confused.

"Yeah. Just Ash," Clemont said. "Is that wrong?"

"When a member of a pack is attacked, all able fighters band together and retaliate. You," he pointed at Clemont, "you said you were a Gym Leader, correct?"

"Well, yeah." X turned to look at Serena; "You're a Pokémon performer?"

"Yes," she said, worried with where this was going.

"Then the three of you should fight me."

The reaction was instant: Ash's eyes widened, Clemont's jaw dropped, and Serena paled. Bonnie tilted her head in confusion, frowning at his statement. "But that wouldn't be very fair for you."

"It's nothing," he waved a hand dismissively. "I've fought packs of wild Mightyena and Houndoom. Three humans are nothing."

Ash frowned. He didn't like people who bragged about their achievements. People who lied about what they did? That was even worse. And yet… there was something about his attitude, the way he stood, that made him wonder: had he actually lived in the wild? His clothes looked as if they had been subjected to Fury Swipes, and his lack of shoes made the suggestion more likely.

"Are you sure about this?" the Kantoan asked. X looked at him, and Ash could've sworn he heard him mutter about uneducated swine.

"The sooner we fight instead of mindlessly waste time, the sooner I can get out of here. Start this already."

Ash hesitated, then turned to Clemont and Serena, who helplessly shrugged in reply before getting on their feet and walking over to the battlefield. Clemont looked over at his sister; "I guess you'll be doing the refereeing, Bonnie. Think you can handle it?"

"Of course! I learned from the best, big brother!"

Clemont's cheeks burned furiously and Ash snickered. It seems the Lumiose boy had yet to accept appraisal without turning redder than a Tamato berry. Regardless, Clemont nodded to Bonnie and drew a Pokéball from his belt.

"The battle between Ash Ketchum, Serena, Clemont and X will now take place. Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"

"Hawlucha, I choose you!"

"Pancham, come on out!"

"Okay Chespin, let's battle!"

Three voices echoed across the field, three Pokéballs were tossed into the air, and three different Pokémon materialized from flashes of light. The Pokémon gave a cry of their name, then became confused at the lack of enemy Pokémon.

"I will be your opponent today," X said, directed towards the three small Pokémon. All of them gasped, Hawlucha looking back at his trainer for confirmation. X let out a frustrated sigh; "Really? Have you never fought a human before?"

"Well, they're accustomed to fighting Pokémon," Clemont said, "it's not really normal for someone to take on them by themselves." Then he shot a sideways glance at Ash, "unless you're a certain trainer from Kanto, no offense."

"None taken."

X exhaled before he clapped his hands together. As he drew them apart a rod of blue light appeared, small but growing longer as his hands moved farther apart. The whole pole grew into a spear, roughly as long as X was tall. He twirled it in his lands like a baton before he held it alongside him, the point just brushing the ground.

"Does this suffice as a demonstration of what you will be fighting?" he asked the awestruck trainers.

"How… how did you do that?" Serena asked. Her curiosity was shared with Bonnie and Squishy, who poked his head out of Bonnie's bag to watch the fight.

"I'll keep that information to myself."

"Is that all you can do?" Ash asked. His curiosity was piqued more than his irritation: watching someone create a weapon out of thin air was a sight, but he was more interested in what else his opponent was able to do.

"Absolutely not. But don't expect me to go through every move I can use at full strength. I will use what will be necessary to fight you."

"Okay then," the raven-haired trainer threw his hand out, "then let's do this. Hawlucha, use Karate Chop!"

The avian luchador rushed at his opponent, raising a wing and yelling out his name. At the same time, Clemont called out for Chespin to use Pin Missile, and a dozen glowing needles were fired at X. Serena gave no command; she just waited, tensing up as X stood there. He didn't react when Hawlucha drew nearer, or when Chespin's attack got closer.

At the last second however, the fighter sidestepped, holding his foot out and causing Hawlucha to trip and crash into a stump. X lifted an energy-coated hand at the needle-shaped missiles. Each one of them froze, similar to Pikachu's Thunderbolt from the day before. Except this time, instead of throwing his arm to the side, X closed his hand into a fist. The attack collapsed in on itself, Chespin's attack vanishing in an explosion of smoke.

"What?!" Clemont sputtered, "that wasn't- how did- what kind of attack was that?"

"Have you never seen a move that cancels out incoming attacks?" X asked nonchalantly, then tsked. "And I thought you were a gym leader."

"Take that back!" Bonnie shouted, stomping the ground.

"Nene!"

"I didn't say anything, I was just implying that your brother is an inexperienced gym leader who hasn't seen moves like mine."

"Well I bet I have," Ash said. "Hawlucha, follow up with Flying Press!"

The flying and fighting type shook the dust from his feathers and leapt upwards before making a rapid dive on his fighter. And just like before X just raised a hand at Hawlucha, causing him to freeze midair. The human battler flicked his wrist and Hawlucha was sent flying into a tree, hitting the truck and falling to the ground.

Ash clenched his fists and yelled, "Stop cheating and fight!"

"Cheating? Who says I'm a cheater?" he countered, idly tossing his spear between his hands. "All I'm doing is avoiding your moves. Is playing defensive wrong?"

"No, but the way you're defending is unfair. You aren't letting them touch you; our attacks won't even hit you thanks to that one attack of yours. It might as well be stalemate or our Pokémon will faint from exhaustion."

"True, I suppose," X mused. "So would you rather I not use any attack evasions and simply switch to offensive?"

Ash started to answer, then hesitated. If X was purposely trying to make them force his hand, what kind of attacks should they expect? Could he undergo something like Mega Evolution? After a second of internal debate, he nodded.

"Very well."

X held the spear between his hands and clapped them together and it simply vanished. After doing so he snapped his fingers and disappeared.

Literally. He vanished from sight. One second he was standing there, and the next he was gone.

"Wha-?!" Serena exclaimed. "Where'd he go?"

"Did he run away?" Clemont asked.

Ash looked at the trees opposite him. The trees no longer seemed welcoming or friendly, instead possibly hiding a certain hooded fighter, lying in wait to ambush them. Was it his imagination, or was the rustling of the leaves actually footsteps as X ran away? Was the breeze on his neck really X breathing as he stood behind him?

He whirled around, expecting him to be standing there.

He wasn't.

"Where are you?" Ash called out. Not even a second later-

"Here."

He yelped as X's voice hissed in his ear just inches away and he flung a fist out, connecting with invisible fabric. A hiss was heard, and Ash felt something slap him across the face. Rubbing his cheek he watched as X reappeared momentarily, before clapping his hands together and disappearing again.

"He's invisible!" Clemont exclaimed. "Chespin, Vine Whip all around!"

"Pancham, Dark Pulse, follow Chespin's lead!"

Both Pokémon threw their arms out, firing a pair of vines and a pillar of dark energy. They faced back-to-back, allowing a small chance for their opponent to hide themselves as they swept across the battlefield. However, their search for him was vain as they found nothing.

"Are you done?" X's voice asked, somewhere on the ground in front of them. Hawlucha, deciding he had had enough nonsense, leapt at it before Ash could reply. At the same time Pancham fired another Dark Pulse at the same spot. The Fighting and Flying type met empty space and Pancham's attack collided with him. The Playful Pokémon went wide eyed, averting his eyes from the avian wrestler, suddenly interested in the grass.

Hawlucha, however, was having none of it, shouting at the Fighting type across the field. Pancham protested, trying to defend his attack as an accident, but words fell on deaf ears as Hawlucha rushed at him, readying an attack.

"No Hawlucha!" Ash yelled, trying to get his Pokémon under control. Despite his prowess in combat Hawlucha's biggest weakness was being offended easily. Any accident caused by either Pokémon or human directed to him was seen as an attack to his identity. "Pancham didn't mean it."

The avian luchador rose a fist up, ready to strike the panda-like Pokémon in comeuppance. Teeth gnashed in a frightening appearance, arms twitching as he considered his choices. Ash could only wait with bated breath as he prayed to Arceus that his Pokémon would pull through.

Finally, after eons of agonizing waiting, Hawlucha lowered his fist and, with a loud _harrumph_ , turned his back on Pancham. Ash exhaled, thoroughly relieved that chaos hadn't broke loose.

"We're sorry, Hawlucha," Serena said, slightly bowing to Ash's Pokémon in apology. Pancham followed suit in hopes of making quick amends, the battle forgotten by both parties, it seemed. The bird Pokémon looked at Pancham, then at his trainer. Then back again to the Pokémon. Then, with a soft smile he held a hand out, inviting his friend to reconcile.

"Lucha," he said, softly yet with a firm undertone so he wouldn't appear _too_ soft. Pancham blinked, then returned the smile and shook his partner's hand. Ash grinned at the sight, happy to see two friends make up for a mistake-

The sound of a snapping twig made his head shoot up as if it were a gunshot. He scanned the trees in hopes of locating the culprit but couldn't see anything save for the trees. He thought he could hear a quiet muttering about being more careful-

 _X!_

In the moment between Hawlucha and Pancham he had completely forgotten about the opponent and cried out "Look out, Hawlucha!" just as a figure materialized, glowing spear in hand. His Pokémon turned in time to see X leap into the air, seemingly frozen in place. Hawlucha could only watch as the enemy fell on him-

With seconds to spare Pancham shoved the Wrestling Pokémon away from the impact zone. Hawlucha went sprawling, though his indignation was overcome with shock as he turned to the panda Pokémon and reached a wing out, "Cha, lucha!"

"Pancham, no!"

X fell on the Pokémon; the resulting collision sent a small cloud of dirt into the air, hiding both partner and enemy from view. When the dust settled the sight of the young man grasping Pancham by the throat made everyone gasp.

"Touching, I'm sure," he scoffed, watching his prey struggle in his clutches, "that your Pokémon forgive each other so easily over petty squabbles. But it _sickens_ me to see such content."

"Let him go!" Ash yelled, voice tinted with fury and panic alike. "He's gonna choke!"

"Oh, please. I know the required strength needed to restrain his breath and how strong it would take to crush his neck. He isn't gonna die… not if you force me to."

" _Please_!" Serena cried, practically pleading with watery eyes. "Let him go please!"

Hearing the raw emotion in Serena's voice ignited a fiery wrath in Ash's bones, filling him with the need to strangle X in an act of revenge. If this wasn't a battle Ash would have his opponent on the ground and beat the living crap out of him. Pancham struggled uselessly against his vice like grip, paws failing to reach the fighter's elbow. Noticing the Pokémon's strugglings X turned to Pancham. "Feisty little one, aren't we?"

" _Cha LUCHA!_ "

Ash had known his Pokémon as an avid fighter, if not a little hotheaded. Still, he had a "decently-sized" heart for those who he considered his friends. Now, however, Ash had underestimated the size. Probably more like big enough to warrant shouting when a friend was threatened and, if looks could kill, X would be dead where he stood.

"LUCHA! CHA HAWLU HAWLUCHA!" Ash couldn't understand all of what his Pokémon was saying, but he could get the gist: drop my friend or I'll tear you to pieces. If X was intimidated however, the hood covered it. He instead chose to get on a knee and wave Pancham around as if taunting the unfortunate Pokémon.

"You want him that bad, do you? Bad enough to threaten my life?"

"CHA!"

"Well then," he got to his feet and swung the Playful Pokémon, "catch him if you can!"

And he flung Pancham into the air, making him shriek as he rapidly flew up. Hawlucha yelled out as he watched his partner soar into the sky and hopped sporadically along the ground, building speed before he launched into the air after his friend.

"Tch. And here I was hoping you'd be at least a challenge."

He clapped his hands; illusory shapes drifted into existence, silvery white blobs taking places at his side. They began to solidify, taking shape until they resembled copies of himself, complete with hood over their heads. The real X- Ash assumed it was the real one since he clapped his hands and called out "At arms!"

The copies tensed, each forming an azure spear and aiming it upwards at the Pokémon.

"Steady, steady..."

The other trainers cried out in alarm. Too late, Ash realized what they were about to do, but before he could call out in warning-

"Fire!"

The dopplegangers hurled their weapons at the Pokémon, the following explosion drowning out Ash's cry for Hawlucha. Two figures dropped out of the smoke cloud, beaten and bruised beyond what should be acceptable. Once they hit the ground, they didn't bother getting up. Bonnie stood frozen in place, before remembering her duty as referee.

"Hawlucha and Pancham are unable to battle; X wins!"

* * *

 **All right, screw it. I've put this off long enough, think it's time I get back into the flow of writing. I've started a 30 day OTP and have since then been inspired to get back to this story. I've put this together after several prolonged months and am hoping to get back on schedule.**

 **Battle scenes have not been my strong suit. I'm planning on splitting this sequence into three chapters; stay tuned for that.**

 **So as the Keeper demonstrated he kinda has an addiction to blood. I'm using the Skyrim style/whatever-the-word-is-I'm-thinking-but-can't-say, in the sense that his powers grow the longer he refrains from consuming blood, and drop to just above average when he satisfies his cravings. That being said, he doesn't wholly rely on just blood for energy: berries are a satisfactory replacement in the absence of any Pokemon.**

 **Please r &r. Any advice and criticism is appreciated.**

 **Have a good day!**


End file.
